Credit: The Exorcist
The latest saga of Laurie Strode, and Michael Myers is coming to an end.
David Gordon Green shocked audiences with an excellent reboot/sequel to the original Halloween feature from 1978 that brought back the return of final girl favorite Laurie Strode, who died first in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers in a fiery car crash. Strode would return in Halloween: H20, reconning every film after Halloween II. The explanation was that Strode had faked her death to get away from Michael. She officially died in Halloween: Resurrection before returning in the 2018 reboot.
Whether you love or hate the current incarnation of the Halloween films, David Gordon Green has revitalized a franchise that was severely on life support. In just a short few weeks, the trilogy ends with, well…Halloween Ends, and we’ll finally know who stands tall in the long war between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Meanwhile, it’s no surprise that Green will be moving on to The Exorcist, another franchise that has been milked for all it’s worth at this point.
Like Halloween, The Exorcist II will recon all the sequels and bring back Ellen Burstyn (aka Chris MacNeil), the mother of Regan MacNeil. Could we see a cameo from Linda Blair? Opposite of Burstyn is two-time Oscar nominee Leslie Odom Jr., who, like Burstyn, will play the parent of a possessed child.
Credit: The Exorcist
David Gordon Green spoke with Collider about how he’ll approach The Exorcist differently, and he explains the differences it’ll have from Halloween, “Halloween is a horror movie, it’s a slasher movie, it’s a midnight madness, good time at the movies, eat some popcorn. The Exorcist is a very researched drama about f***ed-up things – spirituality, religion, mental health, family – and it’s…you can overlap those two in these very different subgenres of horror, but the approach technically, creatively, is very different.”
It’s good that Green can understand the differences between Halloween and The Exorcist. Granted, this should be a no-brainer with any filmmaker with brain cells, but the sequel could’ve easily turned into Regan being possessed again by a revenge-seeking demon 50 years later. In terms of Ellen Burstyn, she serves as a connection to both franchises as Odom Jr’s character seeks out her help because his daughter has become possessed. Green explains the growth in the upcoming rebooted sequel and how the impact of the first film truly changed her life, “She’s there to evaluate, give me notes on the script, and she’s become like my spiritual guru that I go to, which…just the way that the film affected her life, we found ways that the story we’re creating affected Chris MacNeil in certain ways.”
Credit: The Exorcist
It should be interesting to see how Green approaches the legacy sequel. Though The Exorcist series was barely watched, it was a strong follow-up to the original film that saw Geena Davis play adult Regan MacNeil. The Fox show proved that there’s still a compelling world within The Exorcist canon; however, it matters how Green treats the series. One of the biggest mistakes that the Halloween trilogy made was confirming a trilogy. Since audiences knew that there would be a Part III, it was hard to buy that either Laurie Strode or Michael Myers would die in Halloween Kills.
The premise of Halloween Kills was certainly great, but it’s definitely not on par with the 2018 Halloween. Hopefully, Green approaches The Exorcist sequel in a bold and creative way that honors the film before it but crafts something compelling and unique that stands out in modern times. Exorcist II (not the official title) is slated to be released on October 13, 2023. Filming of the horror classic will commence in a couple of weeks, according to Green.David Gordon Green
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