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Universal’s Hefty Bet on “Exorcist: Believer” Faces a Demonic Reception From Critics

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In a daring venture, Universal’s “$400 Million Gamble” on Exorcist: Believer has been met with a chilling response from critics, casting a shadow over the anticipated trilogy. The film, which is the first in a planned series, has been haunted by predominantly unfavorable reviews, scoring a mere 20 percent on the popular review-aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes.

The Exorcist franchise, which commenced with William Friedkin’s acclaimed 1973 classic, has historically been a mixed bag in terms of critical reception. However, Exorcist: Believer isn’t just another sequel. In 2021, Universal invested a staggering $400 million for the rights to the franchise, indicating a significant financial and creative commitment to the series. The success of Believer is pivotal, as it is intended to generate momentum for the subsequent sequels.

Exorcist: Believer

Jason Blum, a producer with a notable track record in the horror genre, including hits like Get Out, expressed the financial risks involved in the project. He stated, “The riskiest movie I have ever made for sure is not out yet. It’s The Exorcist. Just because it’s so expensive. Usually the bar to success on everything we do because it’s inexpensive is incredibly low. For [The Exorcist: Believer], it’s high.”

The film, which revolves around Victor Fielding (played by Leslie Odom Jr.) dealing with the possession of his daughter and her friend, has been subjected to a slew of critical remarks. The New York Times offered a sardonic critique, stating, “Double the possession, half the fun.” Meanwhile, The AV Club assigned it a “D” grade, summarizing the film as “a grab bag of half-baked ideas that never coalesce into a coherent theme or a reason to exist.” Another critic did not mince words, dubbing it “the worst horror film of the year, despite Odom’s brilliance.”

“The clichés of demonic possession pile up with dutiful nostalgia, but they’ve lost their shock value.”Variety.com

Exorcist: Believer

Despite the critical maelstrom, the film is projected to have a robust opening weekend, with estimates ranging from $30 million to $35 million. This potential initial success raises questions about the impact of critical reviews on horror films, which historically have often been “review-proof.”

The future of the Exorcist sequels may hinge less on the first entry being a blockbuster hit, given that fans of horror franchises are accustomed to the genre’s hit-or-miss nature and the Exorcist brand carries decades of recognition. However, the specter of Believer potentially underperforming does conjure memories of Universal’s previous attempts to launch multifilm franchises, such as its ill-fated Dark Universe.

With Believer’s box office tracking positively, the critical reception may not derail its financial success. Nonetheless, Universal executives might find themselves in a precarious position, hoping that the film’s earnings will justify their substantial investment and pave the way for the forthcoming sequels. Only time will reveal whether Exorcist: Believer can overcome its critical demonization to emerge victorious at the box office.

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‘Evil Dead’ Film Franchise Getting TWO New Installments

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It was a risk for Fede Alvarez to reboot Sam Raimi’s horror classic The Evil Dead in 2013, but that risk paid off and so did its spiritual sequel Evil Dead Rise in 2023. Now Deadline is reporting that the series is getting, not one, but two fresh entries.

We already knew about the Sébastien Vaniček upcoming film that delves into the Deadite universe and should be a proper sequel to the latest film, but we are broadsided that Francis Galluppi and Ghost House Pictures are doing a one-off project set in Raimi’s universe based off of an idea that Galluppi pitched to Raimi himself. That concept is being kept under wraps.

Evil Dead Rise

“Francis Galluppi is a storyteller who knows when to keep us waiting in simmering tension and when to hit us with explosive violence,” Raimi told Deadline. “He is a director that shows uncommon control in his feature debut.”

That feature is titled The Last Stop In Yuma County which will release theatrically in the United States on May 4. It follows a traveling salesman, “stranded at a rural Arizona rest stop,” and “is thrust into a dire hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty-or cold, hard steel-to protect their bloodstained fortune.”

Galluppi is an award-winning sci-fi/horror shorts director whose acclaimed works include High Desert Hell and The Gemini Project. You can view the full edit of High Desert Hell and the teaser for Gemini below:

High Desert Hell
The Gemini Project

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‘Invisible Man 2’ Is “Closer Than Its Ever Been” to Happening

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Elisabeth Moss in a very well-thought-out statement said in an interview for Happy Sad Confused that even though there have been some logistical issues for doing Invisible Man 2 there is hope on the horizon.

Podcast host Josh Horowitz asked about the follow-up and if Moss and director Leigh Whannell were any closer to cracking a solution to getting it made. “We are closer than we have ever been to cracking it,” said Moss with a huge grin. You can see her reaction at the 35:52 mark in the below video.

Happy Sad Confused

Whannell is currently in New Zealand filming another monster movie for Universal, Wolf Man, which might be the spark that ignites Universal’s troubled Dark Universe concept which hasn’t gained any momentum since Tom Cruise’s failed attempt at resurrecting The Mummy.

Also, in the podcast video, Moss says she is not in the Wolf Man film so any speculation that it’s a crossover project is left in the air.

Meanwhile, Universal Studios is in the middle of constructing a year-round haunt house in Las Vegas which will showcase some of their classic cinematic monsters. Depending on attendance, this could be the boost the studio needs to get audiences interested in their creature IPs once more and to get more films made based on them.

The Las Vegas project is set to open in 2025, coinciding with their new proper theme park in Orlando called Epic Universe.

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Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

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Jake gyllenhaal presumed innocent

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

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