The Exorcist and religion are inextricably linked, with the original 1973 horror providing a masterclass in how the divine can put the fear of God in audiences.
Mercifully, its sequel, Believer, isn't about to have a crisis of faith. Even so, director David Gordon Green is keen on avoiding any stuffiness with its subject matter – as well as taking a broader approach to religion.
"You don’t want to make something that’s so heavy and academic that people aren’t interested in going to see it," Green tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features The Exorcist: Believer on the cover. "So you have to disguise it, in a way. This is a movie that’s about different types of faith, not just Catholicism. For me at this point in my life, where I’m talking to my kids about things like God, and they’re asking questions that are curious, the age that these girls are in this movie, it just felt very active with my creative life."
The Exorcist: Believer, which features the return of Ellen Burstyn, releases in cinemas on October 6.
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The above is just a snippet of our interview, available in the latest issue of SFX Magazine, which features The Exorcist: Believer on the cover and is available on newsstands from Wednesday, October 4. For even more from SFX, sign up for the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.
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