The latest legacy sequel for a classic horror franchise faces even more whispers of bad buzz

The recent death of iconic director William Friedkin has led to many revisiting his best movie; the terrifying 1973 occult horror The Exorcist. A full half-century on from its release and it’s still a gripping watch, but the same cannot be said for its many sequels. There have been a total of five films in the franchise including, confusingly, two alternative prequels released a year apart.

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Now, the saga is hoping to make a comeback. The Exorcist: Believer, from Halloween‘s David Gordon Green, is due in time for Halloween 2023, and is intended to kick off a new trilogy. Unfortunately, the buzz around this new installment is not great.

In May, a test screening in New York City was met with barely “a single positive reaction.” It appears that frantic efforts are underway to salvage the end product in post-production, but a new report from @ViewerAnon suggests that despite having already been rated, the final cut isn’t settled:

Replies are pessimistic about the film’s chances, saying the trailer is “flat out terrible” and that it looks like “a jumpscare festival instead of a more psychological horror.” Others consider that the studio continually fiddling with the movie at this late stage cannot be a good sign: “Nothing creates incredible art quite like a committee of the public”.

At this rate, we’d much rather see yet another theatrical re-release of The Exorcist rather than an additional unnecessary sequel. Here’s hoping the end product isn’t a complete disaster.

The Exorcist: Believer is scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 13.