The Pope’s Exorcist sequel is in development with the return of Russell Crowe

Bad news for demons, good news for fans of ridiculous but funny horror nonsense: Father Amorth, aka the pope’s exorcist, will be back… in a sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist. It’s been a few weeks since Julius Avery’s possession horror hit the big screen, starring Russell Crowe as Father Amorth riding a Vespa, snarling and slaying demons, a real-life figure whose exploits inspired (how loosely depends on his personal interpretation of all this “demons and exorcisms”), the story of the first film, and apparently was a success for Screen Gems and Sony Pictures. Enough for more Amorth to appear on the horizon.

Second fucking disgusting, initial development has begun on a sequel, Russell Crowe will return to the lead role. And if you have a problem with that, talk to his boss: the Pope. (Or… Sony Pictures CEO Tim Rothman, are we guessing?) It’s clear Crowe was enjoying playing an over-the-top demon slayer, his turn of texture-chewing mirrored in the film’s final third, which leans entirely towards high pitch (read: like Michael Keaton’s Batman, he goes berserk). And how The spell footage, apparently taken from the Warrens’ archives, The Pope’s Exorcist prepares for potential future entries in its final minutes, with plenty more Father Amorth stories to draw from. The Pope’s Exorcist has already grossed over $52 million on an $18 million budget, so a future franchise could be on the cards.

Since it’s so early, nothing else has been confirmed yet: whether Avery will return, who else he’ll play (Daniel Zovatto is likely to return as well), or what Father Amorth’s next case will be. As long as he’s got his feisty little Vespa and there’s no more jokes in the baggy sleeves of the Exorcist, that’s it.