The New Exorcist Trilogy Is Closer Than You Think

"The Exorcist," which first released in 1973, is widely considered to be one of the best horror films ever made. While it's hard to say the same for the follow-up movies, which were often criticized for losing the plots and characters that made the original so special, it's still a franchise that could potentially reach the heights of that first film in the right creative hands. Enter David Gordon Green, the filmmaker who helped spearhead the recent "Halloween" films, including the upcoming "Halloween Kills." 

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Green is set to work on a new "Exorcist" film trilogy and, following the pattern of his "Halloween" films, it will be a direct sequel to the original "The Exorcist." According to Variety, this new trilogy will star Leslie Odom Jr. in a lead role, and will feature his character seeking out Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) after his child is possessed. Burstyn will also be returning to the role that she originated.

Given that Green has been busy working on finishing up his "Halloween" trilogy, it's easy for fans to assume that the new trilogy is pretty far off. Green can only stretch himself so far, after all. However, during a recent interview, Green shed some light on the upcoming "The Exorcist" trilogy, and it's actually a lot closer than one would think.

During an interview with Collider, David Gordon Green confirmed that the script for the first film in his "The Exorcist" trilogy is written. The other two films are currently being outlined, however, which makes sense. While Green did say that "The Exorcist" films were still a little ways off, the fact that the first film's script is already done is huge news. Interestingly enough, during the interview, Green said that he wasn't approaching "The Exorcist" in the same way as he was the "Halloween" films, as he rightly sees them as very different types of horror.

With that in mind, here's hoping that Green can capture the same magic that made the original "The Exorcist" so beloved by audiences and critics alike. Given the popularity and success of his 2018 "Halloween," there's certainly a lot of hype and cautious optimism surrounding his iteration of "The Exorcist." Of course, depending on how successful Green is wrapping up his "Halloween" trilogy, that could certainly swing the hype in either direction. Fans will simply have to wait for the rest of his "Halloween" films and the first "The Exorcist" film in his new trilogy to release to find out for certain.