Starting off this Spook-tober with the scariest horror franchises returning with their own sequels, prequels, and reboots, the Exorcist franchise is coming up with their own, too!
Apart from Stephen King's Pet Sematary: Bloodlines serving as a direct prequel to the 2019 remake of the original, this time, The Exorcist franchise is coming back with its sixth installment, Exorcist: Believer, coming out this October 6th.
Now, the question is, is Exorcist: Believer a sequel or a reboot of the original William Friedkin-led franchise?
READ MORE: Is Pet Sematary: Bloodlines a Remake, a Sequel, or a Prequel?
When Does Exorcist: Believer Take Place?
Many remain skeptical about The Exorcist receiving the same Hollywood treatment any other popular franchises have had when it comes to getting reboots, remakes, and most commonly, unnecessary prequels and sequels.
However, since Exorcist: Believer director David Green previously found success in his Halloween Trilogy (Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends), needless to say, his award-winning series led him to eventually lead the new Exorcist Trilogy.
This time, the modern take on the franchise kickstarts with Exorcist: Believer, which is confirmed to be a direct sequel to 1973's The Exorcist, all the while disregarding the previous sequels and spinoffs created after the original.
While the main characters are relatively new, Linda Blair, aka the original possessed girl named Regan in the '73 film, will be reprising her role in Green's sequel.
What remains to be seen though is how much she will be involved, as her appearance seemingly makes it out that she'll meet her end in the first of the trilogy.
RELATED: The Exorcist: Believer Age Rating Guide: Is It Suitable For Kids?
What Comes After Exorcist: Believer in the New Trilogy?
Ahead of the theatrical release of Exorcist: Believer, Fangoria reported previously that the sequel trilogy will be titled Exorcist: Deceiver, which is planned to get its 2025 theatrical release. Specifically, the sequel is eyeing April 18, 2025, for its official date.
As for what inspired the Exorcist: Believer director Green to create the new trilogy for the original, well, you can check out what he said below (via Forbes):
"A tough part of the job is to be able to bring a story to a new generation and 50 years can be a long time to ask of someone in a cinematic diet. A young kid may not want to watch a movie that's 50 years old. I'm convinced that if they watch and enjoy our film, they'll reach back and enjoy and appreciate the inspiration of William Friedkin's original. There are enough nostalgia moments that I think we're trying to thread, including the homage and appreciation of the original into our film. I'm hopeful there's a movie here that spans generations and has something for everyone."
Meanwhile, Exorcist: Believer revolves around two children who end up getting possessed by a sinister demon. One of those children happens to be Angela Fielding (Lidya Jewett), the daughter of Leslie Odom Jr.'s Victor Fielding.
Desperate to find the answer to saving his daughter's life and her friend, Victor goes straight to the original possessed child in the 1973 film, Regan, for help.
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