William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel ‘The Exorcist’ is approaching it’s 40th anniversary next year, and in the eyes of Hollywood producers, that means it’s ripe for a remake. Though no one will be able to top the excellence of the original on the big screen, it looks like Sean Durkin, the director of the indie hit ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’, will try his hand at adapting the horror classic for television.
According to Vulture, Durkin is developing a ten-episode television series version of the landmark 1973 film that starred Linda Blair. Backed by Morgan Creek and producer Roy Lee, who executive produced ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Departed’, this adaptation will veer away slightly from the film version. The report says:
“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.”
It’s currently unknown if this remake will be set in modern times and revamped for a contemporary audience yet, but I’d say that it’s good that the director is taking his own approach to the material rather than just trying to repurpose the content from the original film for TV. I haven’t seen ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’, but from what I can gather from critics and friends, Durkin should be able to work wonders with this ‘Exorcist’ project.
The show isn’t set to be formally shopped around town for another two weeks, but apparently execs are already seeking out meetings with Durkin and the team to acquire the show.
