Fox's upcoming series The Exorcist has been a controversial topic among horror fans, as any property based on a canonized classic is destined to be. However, there's some new information that might make the pea soup go down better. According to creator Jeremy Slater, the show will not be an explicit remake of the original film:
If you watch the pilot, you’ll see that we have some…homages to some of the famous moments [from the film]. You’ll see there’s a scene where they reference the original exorcisms in Georgetown.That’s our way of letting fans know that the story you love isn’t being written out of existence. [But] this is a new story with new characters that takes place in the same universe as the original film.
This is a much better place for the show to be, at least in terms of fan reception. Being a remake always comes with the unspoken assumption that you're attempting to improve upon a work that essentially can't be improved. And speaking of those references to the original film, there's a new piece of key art promoting the show that will have your head spinning. Check it out below!
Described as a "propulsive psychological thriller", the show will follow
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 pilot episode was written by Jeremy Slater (THE LAZARUS EFFECT) and directed by Rupert Wyatt (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES). The series will premiere on Fox on Friday, September 23rd from 9 to 10PM.