That a demon in search of possession must be in want of a young girl is a truth universally acknowledged, yet we ask ourselves today will Fox’s Exorcist series bring anything new to the seance table?
William Freidkin has brutally denounced the idea (“An exorcist a week?”), cinema purists will no doubt be shunning it but still a TV series based on The Exorcist is coming.
The first trailer arrived today, featuring a number of familiar beats from William Peter Blatty’s novel as well as the slap of generic horror tropes for good measure.
Take a look below.
Here’s a studio guide to what The Exorcist will all be about,
“The Exorcist is a propulsive psychological thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession.
Father Thomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious and compassionate. He runs a small but loyal parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, another priest finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil.
Father Marcus Brennan (Ben Daniels) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive and utterly consumed by his sacred mission. Caught in the middle is the Rance family, members of Tomas’ parish. On the surface, they’re a normal, suburban family, but all is not as it seems in this household. The patriarch, Henry Rance (Alan Ruck), is slowly but surely losing his mind.
Eldest daughter Katherine (Brianne Howey) has become a recluse who refuses to leave her room. Her younger sister, Casey (Hannah Kasulka), thinks she’s hearing strange noises coming from inside the walls. And mother Angela (Geena Davis) has been plagued by recurring nightmares, each more frightening than the last. Angela believes there is something in the house, a demonic presence, growing stronger by the day.
Desperate, she begs Father Tomas for help, unwittingly setting the naïve young priest on a collision course with Father Marcus. Separately, each faces an insurmountable task, but together they become the only hope against an evil force that has been mobilizing for centuries.”
Ready for the trailer? Press that play button and stand back.
