The Exorcist: Believerdirector David Gordon Green shares his guidance on how filmmakers should approach well-known and established franchises, and the balance between pleasing fans and adding their own perspective. The 2023 sequel to the infamous 1973 horror classic saw a father try to rescue his daughter and her best friend from possession. Alongside his work onThe Exorcist: Believer, Green is also responsible for the2018Halloweensoft reboot sequel,and its two following installments.
While Mike Flanagan is set to rebootThe Exorcistseries once more for a 2026 feature, Green opens up toMovieWebabout advice he’d be willing to share with the filmmaker, and others who had desires to tackle well-known franchises. While the director was willing to encourage any filmmaker to try and add their own vision to a franchise he acknowledged thatthere may be difficulty between adding their own personal take to a series while keeping with established continuity and lore.
I certainly want to encourage people to do it, but it’s challenging because you want the filmmaker to invest all of themselves in that project.
Green elaborates thatwith established franchises come established fan bases with specific visions of what those properties should be, highlighting the reception toJoker 2as an example. With many people having their own beliefs on what a character or property should prioritize or represent, the director suggests that these interpretations should still be appreciated.
When we’re talking about bigger franchises that have legacies and fan bases, that’s a really delicate balance. Because where I can watch Joker 2 and also see a very challenging and artful and passionate movie that’s made, if you’re a different type of fan, you might think, ‘they sabotaged my franchise,’ where I didn’t see anything like that. All I saw was a very specific, unique, one of a kind voice, doing their interpretation of a character. So I have great appreciation for that.
How Green Reinterpreted Horror For A New Age
The Director Has Highlighted His Perspective In Previous Movies
For those familiar with Green’s filmography, his values when approaching existing franchises can be seen through his contributions to bothThe ExorcistandHalloweenfranchises. While not acting as a definitive refutation or critique of what came before,each of Green’s installments ignored past sequels, giving him the freedom to set out his own vision. For many, his versions helped distill the franchises back to what made them successful in the first place.
Halloween Ends' Biggest Franchise Retcons & Plot Holes
The characterization of Haddonfield, Michael Myers, and Laurie Strode create several plot holes and retcons in David Gordon Green’s Halloween Ends.
However, Green’s warning about warring visions can also be seen through his works. While the cancellation of hisExorcisttrilogy leaves his vision incomplete, his reinterpretation of theHalloweenfranchise saw its narrative shift from battles with Michael Myers to a wider exploration on the effect he had on the town of Haddonfield, and how he could inspire future violence. While this decision may have been his vision, it did not sit well with some who felt itstrayed far away from what had been a promised return to form for the franchise.
Our Thoughts On Green’s Advice On IP Reinterpretation
The Filmmaker Is Trying To Encourage Balance
As companies have become more reliant on utilizing existing IP to ensure success, they too have also grown more wary of audience backlash from dedicated fans. Whether it is from genuine criticisms or bad-faith arguments to push an agenda, conglomerates and production companies have set out to please viewers. From consulting “super-fan” focus groups across many stages of production and promotion to influencer promotions, the connectivity between creators and audiences has been redefined many times.
7 Biggest Differences Between The Exorcist & Exorcist: Believer
The Exorcist: Believer is a direct sequel to the original The Exorcist movie from 1973. But there are a few key differences between the two films.
While Green may be keen to ask creatives to consider varied viewpoints, it is also clear that he is encouraging them to nevertheless try their own thing. As such, though his vision forHalloweenandThe Exorcistmay have been polarizing, it is apparent that they were still his vision, and that he takes pride in having the opportunity to share his take on these iconic staples of horror.
The Exorcist: Believer
Cast
The Exorcist: Believer is a direct sequel to the original 1973 supernatural horror film by director David Gordon Green and follows Victor Fielding, a father who was forced to raise his daughter alone after his wife died twelve years prior. When Victor’s daughter and her friend go missing, the supernatural events that surround their disappearance force him to seek out the only person to have dealt with these horrors before - Chris MacNeil.
