Summary
- The Exorcist: Believer has received an R-rating for its violent content, disturbing images, language, and sexual references, promising plenty of dark and disturbing content for fans of the franchise.
- The trailer for the movie indicates that the film will feature frightening images and scenes, ensuring a thrilling experience for fans of The Exorcist.
- Believer is the first film in a planned trilogy and marks the return of Ellen Burstyn to the franchise, with fans speculating about the possible return of Linda Blair's character.
The Exorcist: Believer officially has an age rating, which promises plenty of dark and disturbing content for fans of the franchise. According to FilmRatings.com, Believer has received an R-rating for its use of "violent content, disturbing images, language and sexual references."
Though its currently unclear how Believer's darker content will play out in the upcoming horror film, the trailer has already made it clear that fans of the franchise should expect plenty of frightening images and scenes.
The Exorcist: Believer was directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green and Peter Sattler. The upcoming horror film stars Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Leslie Odon Jr., and Ellen Burstyn. The film takes place 50 years after the original movie and follows friends Angela (played by Jewett) and Katherine (played by Marcum), who both begin to show signs of demon possession.
The Exorcist: Believer is the first film in a planned trilogy. Previously, Green spoke to Entertainment Weekly about returning to the world of The Exorcist with his upcoming movie and revealed the impact William Friedkin's 1974 horror classic had on him when he first watched the film as a teen. Green said;
"The first time I watched it was in a library with headphones on. I would watch it 10 minutes at a time. It was about all I could take. It felt like a realistic journey. It wasn't like a Nightmare on Elm Street movie where you could surrender to the fantasy. It was something that felt a little deeper, a little bit more internal, and so that's what has always stuck with me about it."
Ellen Burstyn Returns to the Horror Franchise with The Exorcist: Believer
The Exorcist: Believer also marks Burstyn's first return to the franchise, with the actor having skipped The Exorcist II: The Heretic and The Exorcist III, neither of which are considered canon to the events of the upcoming horror movie.
While explaining what Burstyn's character has been up to since The Exorcist, Green told EW, "Her character ended up becoming fascinated by exorcism and studying the rites and rituals of possession throughout culture. [She] became a bit of an expert. Not an exorcist herself, but renowned for the books that she's written."
Burstyn's return to the franchise has left plenty of fans wondering if Linda Blair (the actor who played the possessed child Regan) will also be making an appearance in the upcoming film. While Green avoided providing a direct answer, the Halloween Kills director did note that Believer "alludes to her character in a number of ways."
Still, Green did confirm that Blair visited the set during filming. The director said, "We were lucky and had Linda as a technical advisor. She helped us bring excellent performances out of young actresses. It was really valuable having a relationship with her and being able to get her as a part of this conversation."
The Exorcist: Believer hit theaters on October 13th, and its follow-up, The Exorcist: Deceiver will arrive in theaters on April 18th, 2025.