On paper, it sounds like the upcoming Exorcist film is going in the right direction. Instead of following the initial plan to let David Gordon Green make two more sequels to The Exorcist: Believer , Blumhouse hired Mike Flanagan to write and direct a new take. Moreover, Flanagan has already secured an A-list star in Scarlett Johansson , signaling a level of prestige higher than the previous movie’s star Leslie Odom Jr. (who does excellent work, despite a terrible script).

But the success of 1973’s The Exorcist didn’t stem from the stars or from studio support. Heck, it didn’t even really come from William Friedkin’s skills as a director or screenwriter William Peter Blatty’s ability to write a script. Rather, it came from the faith of the two men: Blatty, the devout Ca

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