Who’s Ready for Another ‘THE EXORCIST’ Adaptation?

William Friedkin‘s 1973 adaptation of  William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist is one of the most highly regarded films of the horror genre. It’s a classic and while I’m not a huge fan of the film, I’m more in love with Exorcist III: Legion, I cannot deny its importance in horror cinema & culture. It was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture and still remains as one of few horror films ever to be recognized by the Academy. Now, news comes out that the original novel will be adapted again, part of me is genuinely excited. Even better, the director signed on to film the new adaptation is Martha Marcy May Marlene‘s Sean Durkin.

Vulture scored the exclusive word that this new adaptation will be hitting the small screen in a 10 episode series.

Unlike the iconic 1973 film, Durkin’s version of The Exorcist follows the events leading up to a demonic possession and especially the after-effects of how a family copes with it: In short, not well, and when medical and psychiatric explanations fail, the desperate family turns to the church, with Father Damien Karras finally brought in to attempt the exorcism.

The Exorcist TV series won’t be formally shopped to networks for another two weeks, but executives are already calling seeking meetings to inquire about landing the Durkin update.

I think in order for this to do really well on the small screen, it should premiere in October. With October 2012 being to small of a deadline (Halloween is only 5 months and a week away!), I assume that if it is picked up, it will show up October 2013. Of course, whoever does decide to pick it up can release it when they want, but knowing how most networks work, the fall will be the prime spot for something like this.

My hope is that it will fall in the hands of Showtime or HBO. The Exorcist is a story that is full of taboo subjects and I would really hate for a network to interfere with what Durkin could come up with. While it is not said in the story if Durkin will just be writing the story or if he plans on directing any or all of the episodes, this one is definitely on my radar.