Fox's The Exorcist series has received a full season order, so they've been buckling down to hammer out an expanded arc. One of their changes will delight fans of FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF. Guest star Alan Ruck (who played Bueller's best friend Cameron in the John Hughes classic) has been upgraded to a series regular, continuing his role as the patriarch of the demon-besieged family.
This presumably means that he isn't killed in the pilot. Although with a supernatural show like this, you can't take that for granted. Here are the full details on his character: "Once a successful civil engineer, Henry suffered a traumatic accident that left him permanently impaired. Now he finds himself a prisoner inside his own body, frustrated by his lack of progress and his inability to help his family in their time of need. Despite all this, he remains a warm, loving presence, and someone who will go to any lengths to protect the ones he loves."
THE EXORCIST is a propulsive psychological thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession. FATHER TOMAS ORTEGA (Alfonso Herrera, “Sense8,” “The Chosen”) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious and compassionate. He runs a small but loyal parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, another priest finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil. FATHER MARCUS BRENNAN (Ben Daniels, “Flesh and Bone,” “House of Cards”) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive and utterly consumed by his sacred mission.
Caught in the middle is the RANCE family, members of Tomas’ parish. On the surface, they’re a normal, suburban family, but all is not as it seems in this household. The patriarch, HENRY RANCE (guest star Alan Ruck, “Spin City,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”), is slowly but surely losing his mind. Eldest daughter KATHERINE (Brianne Howey, SCREAM QUEENS) has become a recluse who refuses to leave her room. Her younger sister, CASEY (Hannah Kasulka, “The Fosters”), thinks she’s hearing strange noises coming from inside the walls. And mother ANGELA (Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Geena Davis, “Commander in Chief,” “Thelma & Louise”) has been plagued by recurring nightmares, each more frightening than the last.
Angela believes there is something in the house, a demonic presence, growing stronger by the day. Desperate, she begs Father Tomas for help, unwittingly setting the naïve young priest on a collision course with Father Marcus. Separately, each faces an insurmountable task, but together they become the only hope against an evil force that has been mobilizing for centuries.
The Exorcist will air on Fox this Fall on Fridays from 9 to 10 PM; Rupert Wyatt helmed the pilot.