"The Exorcist" will bedevil moviegoers once again.
The Hollywood Reporter says director John Frankenheimer ("Ronin," "The French Connection II," "Grand Prix," "Seconds") has agreed to direct a prequel to the 1973 horror classic, which will tell the story of Father Merrin as he first does battle with the devil while working as a missionary in Africa circa World War II.
Screenwriter William Wisher ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day") wrote the screenplay, reported previously under the title "Exorcist Dominion," drawing on material included in author William Peter Blatty's novel "The Exorcist." A subsequent rewrite by Caleb Carr got Frankenheimer on board, The Hollywood Reporter said.
Attracting a director of Frankenheimer's calibre will be a big boost to the project, which follows on two poorly received "Exorcist" sequels: 1977's "Exorcist II: The Heretic" and 1990's "Exorcist III."
Enthusiasm for reviving the franchise was no doubt buoyed by last year's reissue of the original "Exorcist" with additional footage not included in the first cut.
(More on John Frankenheimer)
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