Another beloved movie is today receiving the small screen treatment. William Friedkin's iconic, soul-shattering wedge of horror The Exorcist has been ordered to pilot over at Fox. Described by THR as a "modern reinvention" of William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel, the series won't see the author pen the script like he did with the original movie; Fox has hired Fantastic Four scribe Jeremy Slater. We'll just leave it at that.
As for the story, it's said to be “a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.” By taking cues from the novel and extending them across a long-form narrative format, there will be more chances to explore the nuances in Blatty's source material.
Purists won't be pleased to hear that the book and movie are being trotted out again. It's hard to imagine how The Exorcist could be bettered, as it continues to reign as one of the scariest movies ever made. Friedkin spoke out last year against the remake, saying he completely denounced it. Wonder what Mark Kermode will have to say.
Images: Warner Bros.
