David Gordon Green wished that William Friedkin would've been able to view The Exorcist: Believer, but that's not possible. The director of the latest Exorcist chapter wanted to show the director of the original classic, William Friedkin, his film. Unfortunately, Friedkin passed away earlier this year at the age of 87.
William Friedkin's The Exorcist earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director in 1973 and cult status in the horror genre. Green's Exorcist film serves as a continuation of the original. The Exorcist: Believer has the parents of two possessed girls call upon Ellen Burstyn's MacNeil, the original film's protagonist, for assistance since she went through the same thing with her daughter, Regan (played by Linda Blair in the original).
“I'm trying to evolve my own vernacular in the perception of this film,” Green told A.frame.
David Gordon Green's connection with Friedkin and The Exorcist
When asked if Green had connections with Friedkin, he stated, “I would've loved that. I was looking forward to showing him the film because I never communicated with him…My understanding was that he didn't want involvement in the film production, but he would give us his thoughts after the movie. I was very curious to see what he would think, because I know he had been very critical and was very outspoken, but he was also a brilliant man.”
Whether it mattered if Friedkin would've liked the movie, Green noted, “He didn't have to love my movie, but I could learn from him, because he made many of my favorite movies.”
We'll never know what Friedkin thinks of the new Exorcist, but he has to rest well knowing that his movies have possessed the minds of horror lovers everywhere.