David Gordon Green’s approach to Halloween has worked wonders so far, with the first chapter in his sequel/reboot hybrid trilogy posting the franchise’s biggest box office total by a wide margin, while also landing the best reviews Michael Myers had seen since John Carpenter’s original 40 years previously.
Today’s Halloween Kills isn’t generating the same levels of critical euphoria, but it’s still the highest-rated sequel in the entire series on Rotten Tomatoes, and on track for a $40 million opening weekend. The filmmaker will be looking to replicate that success with The Exorcist, which is the next iconic horror property he’s lending his talents to.
Picking up where William Friedkin’s 1973 classic left off, a three-film series was announced right out of the gate, with Gordon Green co-writing them all and directing the first. However, during a recent interview with Collider, he was asked if he planned to helm the whole lot, to which he replied “That’s the idea right now, yeah”.
Gordon Green is also attached to direct and executive produce HBO’s Hellraiser, so he’s become massively invested in the idea of resurrecting long-dormant horror brands. At least he’s turned out to be very good at it, and work on The Exorcist is expected to begin in earnest next year, with the first installment scheduled for release in October 2023.
