TCA Summer 2016: The Exorcist NOT a Remake; Iconic Theme Usage Will Be Sparse
Steve Barton
|
The summer 2016 Television Critics Association press tour is currently happening and during Fox’s presentation, the executive producer of the new “Exorcist” series, Jeremy Slater, made a couple of things crystal clear…
As reported by The Wrap, “If you watch the pilot, you’ll see that we have some… homages to some of the famous moments [from the film]. You’ll see there’s a scene where they reference the original exorcisms in Georgetown. That’s our way of letting fans know that the story you love isn’t being written out of existence. [But] this is a new story with new characters that takes place in the same universe as the original film.”
Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells,” the theme song from William Friedkin’s 1973 classic The Exorcist, has become absolutely synonymous within the franchise, but according to Slater we won’t be hearing it that much in the series.
“I don’t think you’ll be hearing it too many times in the future because it costs a fair chunk of change every time it shows up. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t be hearing it; it’ll just be used tastefully and when the budget allows for it.”
“The Exorcist” (airing Fridays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, on Fox) premieres on September 23rd. Directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), the series stars Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Geena Davis (“Commander in Chief,” Thelma & Louise), Alfonso Herrera (“Sense8,” The Chosen), and Ben Daniels (“Flesh and Bone,” “House of Cards”).
Related Story: Geena Davis Talks The Exorcist and Asks if America Wants Another Beetlejuice
About “The Exorcist”:
“THE EXORCIST” is a propulsive psychological thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession. FATHER TOMAS ORTEGA (Alfonso Herrera) is the new face of the Catholic Church: progressive, ambitious, and compassionate. He runs a small but loyal parish in the suburbs of Chicago. He has no idea that his quiet life is about to change forever.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, another priest finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle with evil. FATHER MARCUS BRENNAN (Ben Daniels) is a modern-day Templar Knight, an orphan raised since childhood by the Vatican to wage war against its enemies. Father Marcus is everything Father Tomas is not: relentless, abrasive, and utterly consumed by his sacred mission.
Caught in the middle is the RANCE family, members of Tomas’ parish. On the surface they’re a normal, suburban family, but all is not as it seems in this household. The patriarch, HENRY RANCE (guest star Alan Ruck), is slowly but surely losing his mind. Eldest daughter KATHERINE (Brianne Howey) has become a recluse who refuses to leave her room. Her younger sister, CASEY (Hannah Kasulka), thinks she’s hearing strange noises coming from inside the walls. And mother ANGELA (Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Geena Davis) has been plagued by recurring nightmares, each more frightening than the last. Angela believes there is something in the house, a demonic presence, growing stronger by the day. Desperate, she begs Father Tomas for help, unwittingly setting the naïve young priest on a collision course with Father Marcus. Separately, each faces an insurmountable task, but together they become the only hope against an evil force that has been mobilizing for centuries.
Categorized:News
