Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
the exorcist believer
Image via Universal

‘I don’t understand how you can screw that up’: An iconic director more than familiar with being rebooted blasts a struggling legacy sequel

He knows all about his back catalogue being cannibalized.

There aren’t many filmmakers out there more familiar with the prospect of being rebooted than John Carpenter, with a vast array of the director’s classic – and even not-so-classic – titles being subjected to at least one overhaul.

Recommended Videos

Assault on Precinct 13 was given a fresh coat of paint, Halloween was sequelized into the ground, remade, and then rebooted, Escape from New York is in the midst of getting that do-over that’s spent decades in development hell, The Fog was fumbled second time around just like The Thing, and even the thought of Dwayne Johnson touching Big Trouble in Little China still sends shivers down the spine.

big trouble in little china
via 20th Century Fox

With that in mind, when the legend speaks out on The Exorcist: Believer – especially when it was directed by somebody he collaborated with very recently – it’s well worth listening, and the veteran admitted to The Los Angeles Times that he’s heard it isn’t worth the $400 million investment.

“I like what David did when he made the three Halloweens. I loved No. 2. Thought that was fabulous. I heard The Exorcist really didn’t cut it. That could be a kick-ass movie. I don’t understand how you can screw that up.”

Having under-performed at the box office while simultaneously being beaten into submission by critics, Believer will be lucky if it turns a profit in theaters, especially when it’s coming to digital and VOD at the end of next week. Carpenter hasn’t seen it, so he’s not in a position to share his unfiltered thoughts, but looking at his back catalogue makes it easy to understand why he’s qualified to pass judgement.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell
News, reviews, interviews. To paraphrase Keanu Reeves; Words. Lots of words.