Universal Pictures hit trouble this weekend with the release of “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of a planned trilogy aiming to revive the famed horror franchise.
The film was utterly ripped apart by critics (23% on Rotten Tomatoes), and wasn’t well received by audiences who awarded it a ‘C’ CinemaScore and a 58% on RT audience score.
The theatrical rights for three movies came with the price tag of $400 million, a number that according to THR includes the film’s streaming rights for Peacock, and theme park extensions among other costs.
The result was the film, which had been tracking to pull in up to $35 million for the weekend, fell woefully short – slipping to $26.5 million when the final numbers were in. Overseas the result wasn’t much better with 52 markets pumping $17.6 million into its coffers for a global start of $44.2 million.
David Herrin, founder of tracking and research firm The Quorum, tells the trade: “Even if it had opened to $35 million… that would have been a disappointment” and says reviving beloved IP is not a guarantee of success.
The film also faced a last-minute date change due to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, limited marketing due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, and a busy horror marketplace with “The Nun II” and “Saw X” still out there.
THR indicates that for now, the studio is still intent on producing two more films in the series. However the rough reception will likely “demand some degree of creative re-think” for the next two films.
The first sequel was supposed to be called “The Exorcist: Deceiver” and has a completed script. Director David Gordon Green was likewise expected to return, but recently he teased that may no longer be the case.
Its also been indicated today (via Reddit that the film will be released on Digital on October 24th – making the jump from cinemas to PVOD in just 18 days.
