The first installment in the new trilogy from the Exorcist franchise, The Exorcist: Believer, made its global debut on October 6. Serving as a direct sequel to the original 1973 classic, The Exorcist, this film comes 50 years after the release of the first film. The film notably features the return of original cast members Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair.
Distributed by Universal Studios, the film carried high expectations due to the recent wave of success experienced by gory and violent horror movies. Although the film managed to finish at the top spot in its opening weekend box office, the critical reception for the movie has been far from satisfactory.
The Exorcist 2 Fell Below Expectations In Its First Weekend
According to The Numbers, the opening weekend collection of The Exorcist: Believer domestically stood at $27.2 million, following its release across 3,663 theaters. Apart from this, the overseas collection amounted to $17.9 million, resulting in a total weekend gross of $45.1 million. However, this fell far behind several of the other successful horror franchise reboots of recent times.
In fact, the numbers failed to even surpass the predictions made by Deadline last week, which had projected the domestic total to cross the $30 million mark. The film’s release was moved up due to the release of the much-hyped concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, scheduled for release on October 13. However, the film received negative reviews from critics who found the film lacking the impact of its original predecessor.
The film was helmed by director David Gordon Green and jointly produced by Blumhouse Productions and Morgan Creek Entertainment. This same trio was behind the successful reboot of another horror movie franchise, the Halloween series. It appears that the trio has failed to work their magical formula in this film, which serves as the sixth installment in the franchise.
The domestic success of the film is uncertain, particularly considering that Green’s poorly received last Halloween film, Halloween Ends, dropped 80% in collections in its second weekend. If the movie fails big time, the $30 million production budget of the movie (via Fortune) is not the only thing at stake here.
Universal Studios Purchased The Exorcist Trilogy Rights For A Staggering $400M
In 2021, The New York Times reported that Universal Studios, in partnership with its streaming service Peacock purchased the rights to a new trilogy within the Exorcist franchise. Universal Studios reportedly paid a whopping $400 million to Morgan Creek, outbidding several other streamers. The trilogy includes The Exorcist: Believer, followed by The Exorcist: Deceiver with a set release date of April 18, 2025, and an untitled third movie.
The next two films will most probably get a direct streaming release on Peacock. With the disappointing numbers coming in for the first film, a total of $430 million is at stake for the legacy studios and producers. However, this move by the Studio is not unheard before. Earlier, Netflix reportedly paid $450 million to seal a two-film deal within the Knives Out series.
Interestingly, The Exorcist 1973 collected a combined total of $441.3 million at the box office including various re-releases. Fans can either choose to enjoy the new film in theaters or indulge in nostalgia by streaming the 1973 film, which is now available on Max.
