“God played a trick on you…”
The build-up to David Gordon Green’s legacy sequel The Exorcist: Believer has been somewhat of a slow burn, with little heard of the project until some posters dropped July 20th. It was anticipated a trailer would soon follow, and the clip made its online debut Tuesday July 25th, kicking anticipation for this movie into high gear.
The trailer begins in a decidedly un-Exorcist-like manner, establishing the disappearance of two young girls. Shots of search parties and desperate parents evoke more of a Lifetime movie vibe rather than a follow up to the “scariest movie of all time.”
Things take a sinister turn as the girls are found and soon begin behaving oddly. Convulsions are had, scary voices screech, all culminating in one of the pair crashing a First Communion spewing a demonic tirade.
A familiar theme plays in the background as Leslie Odom Jnr ponders just who he can turn to for help, with Hereditary star Ann Dowd pointing him in the direction of a familiar face. Ellen Burstyn’s highly anticipated return as Chris MacNeil is realised, with Odom approaching her to implore “I believe you can help get our girls back.”
One of the trailers most memorable moments sees Burstyn’s character coming face to face with a possessed child. As it taunts her, Burstyn expressionlessly utters “we’ve met before,” prompting an angelic “mother…?” from the young girl. This is cross-cut with the same child scratching something upon a wall, whilst we don’t see the entire word, we see just enough to get us excited…
“R… E… G… A…”
Horrifying demonic make-up is glimpsed as all involved herd the possessed children into a sacred circle. The taunts continue before the trailer finally ends with a stunning homage to the infamous banned “possession” trailer for the 1973 original.
The clip has received universal praise, most saying it has defied their expectations and garnering 4 million views during its first 24 hours. We get a clear look at the fantastic make-up effects on display and the cast that has been teased since the project’s inception.
Furthermore, we get our biggest hint yet that original star Linda Blair is set to appear, despite being absent from the clip.
Universal released the clip along with a handful of new stills, one showing off Christopher Nelson’s Dick Smith-inspired possession make-up perfectly. Hopefully the positive response corelates into box-office success, and we get an Exorcist sequel that finally stands up next to the classic original.
The Exorcist: Believer is set to premiere exclusively in theatres on October 13th 2023, and we can’t wait. You can watch the brand-new trailer below:
