It certainly seems like Fox are getting behind their upcoming TV pilot for The Exorcist, judging by the talent involved. Rupert Wyatt (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes) is down to direct what will hopefully be just the first episode, and a whole cost of cast members are already lined up, but it’s the latest addition that has us most excited: none other than Geena Davis.
Most famous for playing Barbara Maitland in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, in The Exorcist she will play family matriarch Angela Rance, described by Fox as “naturally beautiful, regal and proud but weighed down by stress.” Further fleshing her out, her bio goes on to add: “Angela Rance does everything she can to stay positive and keep her faith even though her family is currently struggling. She can’t help but think, however, if perhaps her nightmares about a demon are a sign of what’s wrong.”
She joins a cast that already includes Ben Daniels (Doom) as Father Marcus, described as an “intense holy warrior”; Alfonso Herrera (Sense8) as the “selfless and compassionate” Father Tomas; Hannah Kasulka (What To Expect When You’re Expecting) as Angela’s eldest daughter Casey and Brianne Howey (Horrible Bosses 2) as Charlotte, her youngest who as the suspected possessed, is looking likely to fill the Linda Blair role in this version.
The pilot has been written by Jeremy Slater (Fantastic Four), which he described as “a propulsive, serialised psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.” Sounds promising to us. As with most horror remakes/retellings, this could go one of two ways, but we’ll keep on holding out hope for a new Hannibal.
An air date for The Exorcist is yet to be announced. For more news about the latest TV series, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.
