Fox just unveiled their pilot episode for The Exorcist. The crowd present at San Diego Comic-Con sat in a near pitch black room and watched intently as the show explored a new chapter in a story horror fans are all too familiar with. It’s not easy to try and follow up on one of the most terrifying and disturbing films ever made, but director Rupert Wyatt’s vision is a dark, creepy and very engrossing effort. Some of the scares were even effective enough to make people jump in their seats.
The story mainly concerns two priests played by Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels. When Father Tomas Ortega is approached about a possible demonic possession, he finds himself having visions of an exorcism being performed by an unfamiliar priest named Father Marcus. Geena Davis’ character Angela Rance has lost her husband to Alzheimer’s disease and now her rebellious daughter is showing signs of being influenced by dark forces.
Exorcism films are a staple of the horror genre and the premise has been overdone and misused countless times over the years. Fox’s The Exorcist feels like a path we have been down many times, but what separates this show from the innumerable amount of knock-offs is that it works. The pilot is tense and perfectly paced for the material, and aside from some sketchy CGI effects everything about this first episode seems like the series could be a solid continuation of the original property. Even Mike Oldfield’s iconic Tubular Bells is back as part of the show’s soundtrack.
Actresses Brianne Howey and Hannah Kasulka play the daughters that may or may not both be affected by the unknown evil that has entered their home, and both were present at Comic-Con for the panel. Gena Davis, Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels and writer Jeremy Slater all greeted the crowd after the pilot screening and were received with praise and applause. Discussions ranged from how the show briefly mentions the events of the 1973 film and that we don’t know where exactly this new demon is coming from just yet. The Exorcist got horror and thriller fans very excited for more and September 23 can’t come soon enough.
