When the eleventh Halloween hit theaters in 2018, Jason Blum knew he had to remake one of the most terrifying films ever, The Exorcist. William Friedkin‘s magnum opus has been considered (un)holy ground for many horror enthusiasts. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the heralded director considers this undertaking to be his “riskiest movie” yet.
In an interview on Indie Wire’s podcast, Blum offered no cap or worry about his feelings toward this iconic film.
The riskiest movie I have ever made for sure is not out yet. It’s ‘The Exorcist.’ Just because it’s so expensive. Usually the bar to success on everything we do because it’s inexpensive is incredibly low. For ‘The Exorcist,’ it’s high.
Now, don’t read into that statement or this post too carefully. If that guy is making that movie, the finished product will speak loudly for itself. However, it does beg a question, “What’s so risky about demonic movies or even rebooting franchises anymore?”
The Exorcist Trilogy is Paying for Its Private Hell
Blumhouse Productions is a moviemaking force in Hollywood because of its proven equation–don’t spend so much to make + don’t pay too much for people + create something designed to make people talk = Kaching!
The Purge or Paranormal Activity anyone? Those films throttled expectations and the box office. So, when Jason Blum says something is “risky,” people pay attention. The Exorcist revival is the stuff that keeps this horror ingenue up at night.
Why? He is breaking his own code.
For The Exorcist, it’s high. It’s not high risk for Blumhouse. We’ve obviously already been paid, but it’s high risk for our partners. So when you ask me what the riskiest thing we’ve ever worked on is, I take that as for us or our financial partners. In the case of The Exorcist, that would be the biggest one, because it’s a high risk for Universal.
Jason Blum to IndieWire, April 2023
If you pay attention to the box office, gambling on hell pays off in divine ways.
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- It, $701.0M (2017)
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- It: Chapter Two, $467.5M (2019)
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- The Nun, $363.3M (2018)
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- A Quiet Place, $334.8M (2018)
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- The Conjuring, $317.0M (2013)
Those are in the top six of all-time horror box office receipts. The missing film? The Exorcist at $428M. And that was 1973! Blum plans on spending close to that amount just to make his new trilogy. For a guy known for squeezing the devil out of a coin, no wonder he’s stressed.
However, if you don’t think this guy is going to make all that money back, with enough left over to buy some popcorn, you’d be sadly mistaken. The Exorcist is historic, so the remake should be as well. In case you need a refresher:
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- The 1973 movie is one of the highest-grossing horror movies ever
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- It owns one of the creepiest and most recognized horror themes of all time
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- And while 1990’s The Exorcist III was nothing to write home about, it owns the best jump scare ever made
Jason Blum knows this genre and is an avid fan of the original split-pea-soup-puking-levitating-neck-going-360-degrees-bat-ess-crazy film. With him at the helm, this revamped version should literally scare the living hell out of anyone.
The Exorcist rises October 13 in theaters, starring Leslie Odom, Jr., the iconic MacNeil family is back as Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair have confirmed cameos in the new franchise. And David Gordon Green will direct. Mark your calendars, and don’t be surprised if Pazuzu ends up doing this horrifying yoga from Satan again for Easter Egg fans.
Since he saw ‘Dune’ in the $1 movie theater as a kid, this guy has been a lover of geek culture. It wasn’t until he became a professional copywriter, ghostwriter, and speechwriter that he began to write about it (a lot).
From the gravitas of the Sith, the genius of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, or the gluttony of today’s comic fan, SPW digs intelligent debate about entertainment. He’s also addicted to listicles, storytelling, useless trivia, and the Oxford comma. And, he prefers his puns intended.
