The Exorcist film franchise has always faced difficulty in getting new movies off the ground. Now it appears The Exorcist: Believer is still going through test screenings as the studio prepares the final product to be released by Universal for October.
This might not be surprising. In fact, director David Gordon Green’s previous film Halloween Ends went through a similar treatment. Interestingly, The Exorcist: Believer has still been rated by the MPAA, but it looks like there are still some alternate final touches in the works.
As you can see below, it was shared by insider ViewerAnon that The Exorcist: Believer just had a test screening in Las Vegas:
THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER has an MPAA rating already but is still going through yet another test screening tonight in Las Vegas. The behind-the-scenes stories on this one are gonna be fascinating.
— ViewerAnon (@ViewerAnon) August 22, 2023
He continues to claim that “the behind-the-scenes stories on this one are gonna be fascinating.” Of course, as mentioned, the Exorcist franchise is no stranger to alterations during production and post-production. The original film’s first 1977 sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic, famously underwent rewrites during production. This was followed by The Exorcist III, in which director William Peter Blatty’s vision was altered during post-production. Fortunately, some of his original sequences have since been re-edited into the film from different sources.
Then there’s the one-two punch that is Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. These were the last films in the franchise up until now and it’s understandable why. The two films are retooled versions of one another, with their own fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and it was quite unusual for a time before the likes of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
As such, it’s understandable that fans are worried The Exorcist: Believer might not be salvageable after so many test screenings and edits. If nothing else, though, that proves that it’s as true of an Exorcist sequel as you can get.
David Gordon Green directed the film from a screenplay he penned alongside Peter Sattler. The story was created by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green. In addition to Ellen Burstyn, the cast includes Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Jennifer Nettles, Olivia Marcum, Raphael Sbarge, and Okwui Okpokwasili.
Fans will be able to see The Exorcist: Believer in theaters on October 13, 2023. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Exorcist franchise updates as we have them.