After finding much success with 2018's long-awaited Halloween sequel, which revamped a sort of dying franchise, Halloween Kills director David Gordon Green shares his approach to writing his upcoming Exorcist film.
After signing on to direct 3 Halloween films (with 2018's being a critical and box office success), it was announced back in December of 2020 that Green would be attached to helm his own Exorcist film that would serve as a direct sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 classic adaptation. Speaking with SFX Magazine, Green opened up about transitioning over to the other iconic horror franchise and what that meant in terms of his writing process.
".[...] right now I have written the first of three Exorcist movies. That was my pandemic project and a very different exercise than Halloween, it's much more researched and academic and it's approaching the genre from a different direction than a slasher movie. Both are really fun, both are really intimidating because they're following in the footsteps of the masterful horror films that I grew up with," Green says. The director also commented on how amazing it has been to be able to play with certain characters, particularly while working with returning Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn. Having now worked on both the Halloween and Exorcist franchises, Green noted that each project allows him to "exercise different muscles," and he's hoping his vision for the Exorcist sequel will satisfy fans of the original while also reaching new audiences.
Green is no stranger to either tackling different breeds of horror or hopping genres entirely. Green began his career producing everything from drama films like Snow Angels to psychological thrillers like Undertow and even romantic movies like All the Real Girls. The director eventually transitioned to comedy, working on fan-favorites such as Pineapple Express, Your Highness, and the hit HBO series Eastbound & Down. He then was responsible for more acclaimed dramas like Joe and Stronger before stepping into full-out horror with Halloween. This has become more of a popular trend in the industry, as other filmmakers like Jordan Peele have transitioned over from a comedy background (previously working on the hit Comedy Central series Key & Peele with Keegan-Michael Key) to directing these horror films like Get Out and Us that have plenty of social commentaries. Since both Green and Peele have found success in new genres, it wouldn't be surprising to see more filmmakers join this trend and tackle something unfamiliar to their previous work.
Although Green's Exorcist film is still in early development, the director is already working on a new series based on Hellraiser. Green confirmed that he has other writers starting to develop some great ideas while he focuses on wrapping up his Halloween trilogy.
Halloween Kills picks up right where its predecessor left off, as Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and granddaughter Allyson escaped from Michael Myers only to learn shortly after that he has miraculously survived. This time, they join other survivors to form a mob to finally take down the iconic killer once and for all.
The untitled sequel to The Exorcist comes out in theaters on October 13, 2023.
Source: GamesRadar