Damn shooting
No fewer than 9 people died during the filming of The Exorcist, earning it the reputation of a cursed film. Among them, Jack McGowran, Burke Dennings’ translator, as well as Linda Blair’s grandfather, night watchman and special effects expert, died within days of the feature film’s release.
Add to that a fire that halted production for six weeks. According to director William Friedkin, over a year of filming, it was inevitable that people would be injured or killed…
Saga in several episodes
Born from a novel by William Peter Blatt, the Exorcist saga includes several opus directed by different directors each time: The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin’s The Exorcist 2: The Heretic (1977) John Boorman’s The Exorcist III (1990). ) The Exorcist: In the Beginning (2004) by William Peter Blatt and Rennie Harlin. On the television side, the series The Exorcist, which follows the first film, began in 2016.
In late 2020, it was announced that Friedkin’s The Exorcist would be getting a new sequel. It was David Gordon Green (to whom we owe the highly recommended Halloween trilogy) who was responsible for rebooting the franchise, all produced by Blumhouse, the company of the prolific Jason Blum. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprise their roles as Chris and Regan McNeil in the feature film, which will be released on October 11.
Linda Blair
Brave people…
Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino were among the contenders for the role of Father Karas, but eventually Jason Miller took the part. The studio wanted Marlon Brando for the role of Father Mary. William Friedkin was fiercely opposed. Reason ? The actor’s aura was so strong that he would take on anything that the filmmaker was afraid of.
Linda Blair received death threats
After the film’s release, Linda Blair, an interpreter for little Regan McNeil, received numerous death threats, mostly from religious groups who were convinced that The Exorcist was meant to glorify Satan.
Fearing for the girl’s safety, Warner then had no choice but to place her under 24/7 protection for 6 months. But the threat continued for years.
A highly profitable film
While it’s undoubtedly one of the most famous horror films of all time, The Exorcist was also an extraordinary commercial success, grossing an estimated $400 million worldwide in its theatrical run (and that’s on a relatively low budget of $12 million).
The other three opuses produced much less results. The Exorcist 2 grossed $25 million on a production cost of $14 million and The Exorcist 3 also grossed $25 million on an $11 million budget. The Exorcist: In the Beginning was made for 50 million and earned 78.
WARNER AT UGC
From June 7th to August 29th, UGC cinemas will celebrate 100 years of Warner Bros. with a special program of 100 studio masterpieces in 20 UGC cinemas across France throughout the summer for €8.50 a seat.
All programming at ugc.fr
UGC Ciné Cité les Halles: 1 film per day, or 84 films during the summer, and various events and entertainment to accompany this anniversary program.
UCG Ciné Cité Bercy: special retrospectives around franchises and filmmakers (Lord of the Rings, Christopher Nolan, DC Universe, etc.)
Dedicated program in 18 cinemas in France on Saturday and Sunday evenings:
UGC Ciné Cité Vélizy, UGC Ciné Cité Créteil, UGC Ciné Cité Cergy, UGC Issy les Ciné Cité, UGC Ciné Cité La Défense, UGC Ciné Cité SQY Ouest, UGC Ciné Cité Cité Cité, UGC Ciné Cité Cité Cité, Le Grand, UGC Ciné Cité Part-Dieu (Lyon), UGC Ciné Cité Internationale (Lyon), UGC Ciné Cité Atlantis (Nantes), UGC Ciné Cité Bordeaux, UGC Ciné Cité Bassins afloat (Bordeaux), UGC Talence (Bordeaux), UGC Talence (Bordeaux) Lille, UGC Ciné Cité Strasbourg, UGC Nancy.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
