Blumhouse and Universal’s Planned Exorcist Trilogy Faces Setback as Director David Gordon Green Exits ‘The Exorcist: Deceiver’

Originally envisioned as the inaugural film in a trilogy set to revitalize the iconic Exorcist franchise with a $400 million deal, David Gordon Green’s ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ was poised for a grand cinematic comeback. However, plans took an unexpected turn as ‘The Exorcist: Deceiver,’ scheduled for release on April 18, 2025, sees Green stepping down as director.

Reports from THR indicate that Green’s departure is attributed to his commitments to the feature film ‘Nutcrackers’ and the TV series “The Righteous Gemstones.” The situation is exacerbated by ‘Believer’s’ underwhelming reception among critics and its lackluster performance at the box office, a stark contrast to the success of Green’s earlier project, ‘Halloween,’ which kickstarted the trilogy in 2018.

With uncertainty looming over the fate of the trilogy, questions arise about the continuation of the original plans without Gordon Green at the helm. The trilogy’s first installment, released on October 13, 2023, featured Leslie Odom Jr. alongside Ellen Burstyn from the original classic.

In ‘Believer,’ Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.) grapples with the mysterious disappearance of his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) in the woods. Their return, with no recollection of the events, triggers a series of unsettling occurrences, compelling Victor to confront profound evil and seek assistance from someone with prior experience.

The concluding moments of ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ hinted at the potential return of Linda Blair’s Regan MacNeil, suggesting intriguing possibilities for future installments in the franchise. The search for a new director intensifies as fans await updates on the fate of ‘The Exorcist’ trilogy.