Yesterday, Vulture, in an “exclusive” story reported that Morgan Creek was developing a ten part television remake of William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist. This production will be directed by Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and produced by Roy Lee (The Departed and The Ring). However, later in the day, Mark Kermode on his Radio 5 film review program, quoted the following from an email he’d received from William Peter Blatty:
As for The Exorcist TV series, in as much as I have no idea what the script looks like, it certainly does not have my blessing. I was never consulted or even told about it by Morgan Creek. … it cannot be a TV remake of my novel to which they have no right whatever …
So, if this isn’t a remake of The Exorcist, what is it? Well, Kermode suggested, Morgan Creek did some of The Exorcist sequels so they retain rights to some characters and story elements. Hmmm … let’s return to the original Vulture article which states:
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 …
So, actually, it sounds like they are remaking the prequel and sequels to which they hold rights and not the original novel. Yawn.
