Universal is shelling out an eye-popping $400 million to buy a new Exorcist trilogy with plans to screen some of the films on Peacock, its new streaming service.
David Gordon Green, the filmmaker of the studio’s latest Halloween” reboot, is directing the upcoming Exorcist franchise, which will be produced by Blumhouse. In an ironic twist, Blumhouse made a name for itself producing low-budget horror hits like Get Out and The Purge, which enjoyed capacious profit margins due to their paltry costs. Streaming has scrambled those economics.
In a coup, Ellen Burstyn, the Oscar-winning actress who first did battle with the devil in the 1973 original, will reprise her role as Chris MacNeil.
The first of three planned Exorcist movies is expected to debut on the big screen in 2023, with subsequent installments to potentially land directly on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s newly launched streaming service.
Burstyn will star in the new trilogy alongside Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton and One Night in Miami acclaim. In the first entry, his character tracks down Burstyn’s after his child becomes possessed.
via Variety
