“The Exorcist” has remained one of the scariest horror movies ever made. Now, 47 years after the film’s release, Oscar-winning director William Friedkin is shutting down any rumours of a reboot.
The 85-year-old director addressed an IMDb rumour he is involved in an upcoming reboot.
There’s a rumor on IMDB that I’m involved with a new version
Of The Exorcist. This isn’t a rumor, it’s a flat-out lie.
There’s not enough money or motivation in the world
To get me to do this.— William Friedkin (@WilliamFriedkin) December 17, 2020
In August, it was reported that Morgan Creek Entertainment, who owns the rights to “The Exorcist”, was planning on a reboot of the film. Last week the company retweeted a 2015 tweet in which they promised to never remake the movie.
For the record, we will never attempt to remake THE EXORCIST
— Morgan Creek (@Morgan__Creek) September 28, 2015
The original film was directed by Friedkin and based on the novel by William Peter Blatty. The film tells the story of the demonic possession of 12-year-old Reagan (Linda Blair) and her subsequent exorcism by two priests (Jason Miller and Max von Sydow). Earning nine Academy Award nominations, the film was the first horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture.
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There have been several sequels to “The Exorcist”, though Friedkin has never been a part of them. The 1977 followup “Exorcist II: The Heretic” by “Deliverance” director John Boorman has been called one of the worst movies ever made — a sentiment shared by Friedkin, who dubbed it “a f***ing disgrace.” More sequels followed in 1990, 2004, and 2005, none of which were a critical or commercial success. An “Exorcist” TV show aired in 2016 but was cancelled after two seasons.
