Everything We Know About the New 'Exorcist' Movie, ‘The Exorcist: Believer’
The Exorcist is back and getting the Halloween treatment, with a Blumhouse-backed reboot coming to theaters just in time for spooky season. The Exorcist: Believer comes from the Halloween reboot director David Gordon Green and follows similar themes of possession and exorcism. The film has been in the works for a couple of years and will serve as a continuation to The Exorcist (1973), even including one of the stars of the original film.
“[It’s] going to be like David’s Halloween sequel,” Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum told Den of Geek. “I think it’s going to pleasantly surprise all the skeptics out there. We had a lot of skeptics about Halloween and David turned them around, and I think he’s going to turn it around with The Exorcist.”
From the highly-anticipated release date to the cast list, here is everything you need to know about The Exorcist: Believer:
When is The Exorcist: Believer’s release date?
The Exorcist: Believer hits theaters on Oct. 13, 2023, just in time for Halloween.
How do you watch The Exorcist: Believer?
The Exorcist: Believer will be released in theaters. The movie is part of a deal between Universal Pictures and Peacock, per Deadline, so it will end up streaming on Peacock after its theatrical run.
What is The Exorcist: Believer about?
The Exorcist: Believer is about two young girls who go missing and, when discovered, exhibit worrying behaviors befitting of possession. Their parents finally reach out to Chris MacNeil for help, since her daughter was possessed in the past and she has experience with exorcisms.
Who is in the cast of The Exorcist: Believer?
The Exorcist: Believer features several recognizable faces. Check out the cast list below:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn reprises her role from the original film as Chris MacNeil, the mother of a girl who was possessed decades prior and in need of an exorcism. In addition to The Exorcist (1973), Burstyn is known for her work in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) and The Age of Adaline (2015).
Amazon Pictures
Leslie Odom Jr.
Leslie Odom Jr. plays the father of one of the newly possessed girls. Odom Jr. came to fame for his work in Hamilton and has made headlines in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and One Night in Miami… (2020).
George Kraychyk/Hulu
Ann Dowd
Not much is known about Ann Dowd’s character, but she had a memorable role in the horror movie Hereditary (2018) and won an Emmy for her work in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-present).
Raphael Sbarge
Raphael Sbarge will play the pastor in the film. Sbarge is best known for his work on Once Upon a Time (2011-2018) and Murder in the First (2014-2016).
Jennifer Nettles
Details of Jennifer Nettles’ role have not been released. Nettles is known for her Grammy Award-winning country music and her role in The Righteous Gemstones (2019-present).
Okwui Okpokwasili
Okwui Okpokwasili’s role in the film has not yet been revealed. She is known for her work in the horror film Master (2022) and the documentary of her one-woman show Bronx Gothic (2017).
Lidya Jewett
Lidya Jewett plays one of the two girls who becomes possessed. Jewett is known for her work in Good Girls (2018-2021) and Nightbooks (2021).
Olivia Marcum
Olivia Marcum portrays the other possessed girl.
Will Linda Blair be in The Exorcist: Believer?
Rumors of Linda Blair’s return as Regan have circulated in recent months, but nothing has been confirmed.
Who is the director of The Exorcist: Believer?
David Gordon Green is the director of The Exorcist: Believer. Green directed the recent Halloween trilogy: Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022). In addition to his horror work, he directed stoner comedies Pineapple Express (2008) and Your Highness (2011).
Is The Exorcist: Believer a sequel?
The Exorcist: Believer is a sequel to 1973 The Exorcist. Although it is the sixth Exorcist movie, it functions as a direct sequel to the original film. While it doesn’t necessarily address the other sequels, it doesn’t completely retcon them. “It’s not like I’m saying, ‘Pretend that The Exorcist 2 never happened’,” Green told Total Film. “That’s fine to exist. They’re all fine to exist, and I enjoy all of them.” The Exorcist: Believer is part of a three-movie deal, much like the Halloween reboot, so two more Exorcist films are expected in the coming years.
What happens in The Exorcist?
The Exorcist follows a young girl (Blair) who begins showing signs of demonic possession, much to her mother’s (Burstyn) horror. Her mother calls on a local priest to help her daughter in the hopes of saving her soul. With the permission of the Catholic Church, two priests work to perform an exorcism and discover the entity that is possessing the girl. Based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, the movie went on to become the first horror movie ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Related: 10 Academy Award Contenders for 2024 That You Can Already Watch
Is there a trailer for The Exorcist: Believer?
There isn’t a trailer for The Exorcist: Believer yet, but check back here for updates. We'll add one as soon as it's released.