Summary
- Joshua J Miller and M.A. Fortin's new horror film, The Exorcism, prompts comparisons to Russell Crowe's previous movie, The Pope's Exorcist, despite different intentions.
- Miller and Fortin believe that the close release of the two films will actually lead to them having "a conversation" with one another and result in fun double features.
- With the similar genre movies releasing within one year of each other, eyes are on whether The Exorcism can match The Pope's Exorcist success, and despite poor reviews for the former, the 2023 movie's overcoming of its mixed reviews could see a repeat.
With the two coming out in close succession to one another, Joshua J Miller and M.A. Fortin address the comparisons between The Exorcism and The Pope's Exorcist. The duo, best known for the meta horror comedy The Final Girls and crime thriller Queen of the South, co-wrote the new Russell Crowe horror movie, with Miller directing, and the story revolving around a horror movie's production becoming afflicted by a supernatural presence. The movie comes a year after the release of The Pope's Exorcist, in which Crowe also starred, and whose subgenre The Exorcism is meant to be a meta twist on.
Ahead of the movie's release, Screen Rant interviewed Joshua J Miller and M.A. Fortin to discuss The Exorcism. When asked about the unique casting of Crowe following his turn in The Pope's Exorcist, the duo acknowledged that there was never "an intention" for the casting to directly follow the 2023 movie, though that it ultimately lends to both titles to "have a conversation with one another". See what the duo explained below:
Joshua J Miller: No, not really. I think that wasn't the intention, but in a weird way, we kind of like how the two of them have a conversation with one another. I have not seen the movie, to be honest. I'm not an exorcism genre fan, which is why we wanted to do something different with our movie. We love horror.
M.A. Fortin: And we love the grandpappy Exorcist.
Joshua J Miller: We like other subgenres, but to answer that question, I was like, "This is an interesting conversation." And what I mean by that is, "Oh, that movie exists, and now, there's the making of maybe that movie, or some version of that movie." So, I think that's kinda cool. It's sort of a happy accident.
Will The Exorcism Match The Pope's Exorcist's Success?
More than just coming a year after the 2023 movie's debut, The Exorcism also comes at an interesting time, as development is currently underway on The Pope's Exorcist 2 with Crowe expected to return as the titular priest, Father Gabriel Amorth. Given his new film appears to be a more straightforward and isolated story, it doesn't seem to be as focused on setting up a sequel, for which a strong box office return would be needed. That said, even if it isn't out to start a new franchise, eyes are still on whether The Exorcism will match Crowe's prior movie success.
Despite garnering mixed reviews from critics, The Pope's Exorcist proved to be a surprising box office smash, grossing over $77 million against its $18 million production budget. The 2023 film even went on to find further success upon its debut on Netflix a few months later, ranking as the No. 1 movie for the streamer for nine days straight. Given The Exorcism is releasing in a similar window to Crowe's previous movie and as the summer box office is starting to see an uptick thanks to Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Inside Out 2, it could very well follow in its footsteps.
Related
2024 has already seen several surprising box office flops. With dozens of major releases still to come, some highly-anticipated films may fall short.
The biggest hurdle facing The Exorcism in its potential matching of The Pope's Exorcist success is the poor reviews the movie has received thus far. Unlike the 2023 title, which saw a very positive 81% approval score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, the 2024 film has seen a far more mixed response from critics and audiences, sitting at a 32% from critics and 50% from audiences at the time of writing. However, with few other major new titles coming to the screen in its opening weekend, Crowe could very well have another horror hit on his hands.
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The Exorcism (2024)
R
Horror
Thriller
A troubled actor, Anthony Miller, portrayed by Russell Crowe, begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His daughter, Lee, played by Ryan Simpkins, suspects his erratic behavior might be due to his past addictions or something far more sinister. As the film progresses, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, leading to a tense and chilling climax.
- Director
- Joshua John Miller , M.A. Fortin
- Release Date
- June 7, 2024
- Studio(s)
- MiraMax , Outerbanks Entertainment
- Writers
- Joshua John Miller , M.A. Fortin
- Cast
- Russell Crowe , Ryan Simpkins , Chloe Bailey , Sam Worthington , adam goldberg , David Hyde Pierce
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
-
The Pope's Exorcist
R
Horror
Thriller
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Follow Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's leading exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.
- Director
- Julius Avery
- Release Date
- April 5, 2023
- Studio(s)
- Screen Gems , 2.0 Entertainment , Loyola Productions
- Writers
- Evan Spiliotopoulos , Michael Petroni
- Cast
- Russell Crowe , Daniel Zovatto , Alex Essoe , Franco Nero , Peter DeSouza-Feighoney
- Runtime
- 103 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Movies
- Horror
- Exclusives
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