David Gordon Green's The Exorcist: Deceiver Is Coming To Haunt You In Spring 2025

David Gordon Green has big plans for his "The Exorcist" sequel.

Director William Friedkin shocked viewers around the world when he debuted "The Exorcist" in the winter of 1973. The supernatural-thriller, which follows actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) roping in two Exorcists to save her possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair), became a cultural and financial juggernaut. The film became a must-see event, receiving a medley of Oscar nods and, to date, is considered one of the best horror films of all time. Like most successful horror projects, it spawned several sequels and prequels, though none matched the critical reception of the original.

After the financial success of his "Halloween" sequel trilogy, director David Gordon Green set his sights on the next horror property he could revive, landing on "The Exorcist." Earlier today, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse debuted the first trailer for Green's "The Exorcist: Believer," which sees Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil return to the franchise. In "Believer," Leslie Odom Jr.'s character will seek out Chris to help save his daughter and her friend, who are both possessed by a demon.  

While "The Exorcist: Believer," won't hit cinemas until October, Green and Universal Pictures are already focused on building up the future of the franchise. The studio has dated a sequel, titled "The Exorcist: Deceiver," for April 18 2025, per The Hollywood Reporter. The second film in the revival series will receive a wide release, though a director hasn't been confirmed as of this writing. But the buck doesn't stop at "Deceiver," as Universal Pictures and Green are going all in on "The Exorcist," confirming that a third sequel is also planned. 

Plot details on "The Exorcist: Deceiver" are slim considering "Believer" hasn't debuted yet. From the first trailer, viewers can glean that "Believer" is a canonical sequel to the first "Exorcist." It seems like David Gordon Green is ignoring the sequels that manifested after the 1973 film, creating his own timeline for the upcoming legacy sequel. Seeing as Ellen Burstyn never reprised her role as Chris MacNeil in the various "Exorcist" sequels, this makes her return in "Believer" all the more special.

One notable absence from the "Believer" trailer is Linda Blair, who played the possessed Regan in the original flick. What's Regan's fate fifty years after she was possessed by the devious demon Pazazu? Only time will tell. While it remains to be seen what direction "Believer" goes in, and how a sequel is set up, one thing is clear: Green and Universal Pictures are optimistic about their trilogy. While speaking with The Wrap in 2023, Green confirmed that he would most likely return to helm "The Exorcist: Deceiver" and the currently untitled trilogy capper. "I think the smartest thing to do is to see how it plays and then see what makes the most sense," the director told the outlet. "And what makes the most sense for me is not always what's the most successful," Green added, saying it's important to question how he challenges himself. 

While it's still up in the air if Green will direct "Deceiver" and its follow-up, the director has an idea of which direction his "Exorcist" trilogy will go in. "We've got a lot of ideas," the creative teased. "I've actually got scripts, outlines, and things like that that I'm playing with, but kind of want to see where it lands," Green said. 

"The Exorcist: Believer" hits cinemas on October 13 2023.