With The Exorcist: Believer set for release in October (the spookiest month of the year) let’s go back 50 years to when the original The Exorcist film was released.
The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty. A mother calls in the help of two priests as her 12-year-old daughter, Regan (played by Linda Blair) is thought to be possessed after playing with an Ouija board. As they begin to perform the exorcism, that’s when the real terror begins.
Premiering in U.S. cinemas on December 26, 1973, audiences went from recovering from their indulgent Christmas celebrations to needing to recover from what they just watched. It was widely reported that people were leaving the cinema in tears, and some even throwing up or fainting – hopefully you won’t do the same while getting tattooed!
The Exorcist franchise, like most others in the horror genre, has attempted to capitalise on the success of the original film, but not quite managed to do so as successfully. Exorcist II: The Heretic was released four years later as a direct sequel and is considered by many as one of the worst horror films ever made. That still didn’t deter studios with three additional films between 1990 and the early 2000s acting as prequels or a direct sequel to the original The Exorcist film. 2005’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist was the worst performer of them all, with it not even coming close to recouping its budget.
Now, 18 years later, David Gordon Green, the director behind the recent Halloween trilogy, is set to direct The Exorcist trilogy. Ellen Burstyn will return and reprise her role of Chris MacNeil. Following The Exorcist: Believer, The Exorcist: Deceiver will hit cinemas in 2025, with the third and final (for now) film currently without a title.
Some may consider The Exorcist and is prequels and sequels as some of the most horrifying or ridiculous films made. Which film in the franchise is your favourite?
With several films, two novels, and a television series, there’s more than enough material from which you can create a concept for a tattoo, or even a full sleeve or back piece. You don’t need to summon talented tattoo artists through a ouija board – I’ve already gone ahead and found them for you. One of the artists featured below could be the next to add to your wishlist.
The Tattooed Archivist 