10 Directors Who Could Fix the New Exorcist Trilogy Now That David Gordon Green Has Left the Franchise

Ever since Hollywood started remaking everyone’s favorite horror movies, there have been a few whose reimaginings were projected to be blasphemous. The untouchables, the perfect, and the historical. Films that had defined the genre and still remain spotless approaches that, for one reason or another, were extraordinary scary movie ventures that everyone hailed as their favorites.

Poltergeist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, Psycho. All considered the most important horror movies of their time. And all retouched by Hollywood’s wicked and cash-hungry machine. All with varying results. While some of them are valuable remakes, most of them are just not interesting. Audiences would always go back to their favorite classic, trying to erase the remake they had just seen and asking a very relevant question: “What if they tried remaking The Exorcist?"

We’re sure it was attempted at some point, but rights were acquired, and a sequel was instead planned. Blumhouse got their hands on the project, and David Gordon Green tried to do what he did in the Halloween franchise with his 2018 version of a divisive ret-conning sequel. The Exorcist: Believer was the result, and it was a terribly divisive sequel that neither tilted the scale nor left people remembering it for a couple of days after they watched it. The reception was lukewarm and disappointing, pushing David Gordon Green out of the franchise for good. What had been planned as a trilogy is now an uncertain film project that rests coldly in the hands of executives who have no idea what to do next.

We, the horror fans, have little to no power over these decisions. But what do you say about trying to give them a hand by putting together a list of directors who could save what comes next, and the reason why it could work in their hands?

10 Karyn Kusama

She Directed The Invitation (2015), Destroyer (2018), and Jennifer's Body (2009)

Karyn Kusama is the horror director with a relatively short catalog of movies but a very extensive career in television. After Jennifer's Body was such a dividing film among critics, Kusama was responsible for transmitting the correct message about the film post-mortem. But eventually she drifted towards television to make a name as a solid hired gun with a peculiar ability to compose good characters. The Invitation followed up and confirmed her gait for effective thrillers, and Destroyer was proof of Kusama's love for the genre.

Kusama would be a good choice because of a very simple fact: her skills for bringing great female characters to life and her subtle vision for incorporating feminist themes in any genre. These are two elements that have always been associated with The Exorcist franchise, and would definitely become more relevant in a modern adaptation of the classic concept of the film. Of course, this would mean The Exorcist: Believer falling down a ret-conning hole. But hey, eye for an eye, right?

9 James Wan

Director of The Conjuring (2013), Malignant (2021), and Insidious (2011)

Modern horror mastermind James Wan is the Australian who showed Hollywood horror could be mainstream, classical, and effective. With a couple of franchises to his name, like Insidious and The Conjuring, he's got enough freedom to experiment with non-franchise original films like Malignant, which blew audiences' minds in 2021. He's got the talent, the crew, and the vision to grab a huge franchise and remodel it based on the influence that has formed him. Because one thing's for sure: People may accuse Wan of being a sellout, but he's a horror-loving sellout.

Warner Bros. has a good relationship with Wan. The Aquaman franchise is the evidence. So bringing him to the formula would mean a potential Warner Bros. return to the franchise, but this is just speculation. What's clear is Wan's knack for horror and his relationship with the supernatural subgenre, which often uses demonic possession as context. His incorporation as the leader would validate the new trilogy to new heights and would represent something attractive to execs: audiences would be back.

8 Issa López

Director of True Detective: Night Country (2024) and Tigers are Not Afraid (2017)

Issa López is the Mexican director who proved her worth when the modern horror gem Tigers Are Not Afraid premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2017. Since then, she's enjoyed the attention the small indie horror film gave her and put her in the Hollywood spotlight. In 2022, she made the headlines as the director and co-writer of all episodes of True Detective: Night Country, the fourth season of HBO's crime juggernaut that was never the same after season one. After just a couple of episodes, López has shown how valuable her vision and direction are for the show's redesigned concept of horror and crime.

Let's be honest. The Exorcist's new trilogy could use a fresh face and vision, and López is one of the many directors who could offer something new to the franchise that many deemed untouchable and sacred. Her ability to direct children was solidly proven in Tigers Are Not Afraid, and you can't have an Exorcist film without kids. Besides, López could also add an element of folk horror to the film, considering her close relationship with her Mexican roots. If her participation with a TV franchise proves to be exceptional, the transition to movies will be natural and very welcome.

7 Jeff Nichols

He Directed Take Shelter (2011), Midnight Special (2016), and Mud (2012)

Jeff Nichols' career began when actor Michael Shannon accepted to participate in a script Nichols had written for him. Shotgun Stories was a hit among critics, and things took off for Nichols. However, he would stay in the indie circle with Take Shelter and Mud, two films that fully show his torrid relationship with the American South and feature exceptional performances by Shannon and Matthew McConaughey. However, most of his movies have stayed sleeper hits. However, there's no denying his talent for making genre films with an emotional element inherent in fantastic stories.

By this point, Nichols must be used to difficult film projects. His adaptation of a new Alien Nation film was never produced, his participation in the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One was abruptly interrupted, and his newest film, The Bikeriders, went through a harsh release schedule that pushed it back some time. A new Exorcist film would be right up his alley of discomfort, and who's to say his favorite actor wouldn't be involved? Don't we see Michael Shannon in the trilogy as a beaten-down priest with a severe loss of faith?

6 Jordan Peele

Director of Us (2019), Get Out (2017), and Nope (2022)

Jordan Peele is modern horror's most exciting auteur, whose only three features have been critically acclaimed by critics and audiences. In a very short career that has seen him also grow in the television world, he's shown how a horror influence is probably the best resource you could ever hope to have in order to design and shoot relevant horror films. What's more exciting about Peele is that he seems to insist on making original horror, and not the trope-based horror feature that falls between the crevices of poor reception by the masses.

Yes, it's a huge stretch that doesn't seem likely, but his relationship with Universal is strong, and the franchise is now held by them. Peele would manage to make a possession film that wouldn't pay attention to unnecessary details and would feature an original story based on the context and not the concept. Sure, that would mean the new Exorcist film would drift away from the rules of the franchise, but by this point, there's nothing that can hurt the corpse that remained after The Exorcist: Believer. It's actually a great exercise to imagine what Peele would do with this franchise.

5 Jennifer Kent

Responsible for The Babadook (2014), The Nightingale (2018), and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Australian director Jennifer Kent has had a very short and limited career. But this doesn't mean she hasn't made a name for herself with two solid feature films that greatly feature her unique storytelling style. 2014's The Babadook was highly acclaimed by horror fans, and then The Nightingale proved Kent could move towards a more serious approach without necessarily losing the tension element that she managed so sharply in her feature film debut. She's been very vocal about the lack of female horror directors, and we can't say otherwise. Perhaps her participation in a big franchise could show the world that diversity is necessary in genre films as well.

It's not proper to deny Kent's skills for making effective horror. Her recent participation in the Netflix miniseries Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities with the episode called The Murmuring once again put her in the spotlight as a director capable of capturing the emotions of characters beyond the horror-based premise and context. She's able to design well-built characters that perform beyond a simple scare, and incorporating her more classic and Gothic style into the new Exorcist trilogy would be extremely interesting. Besides, when it comes to psychologically disturbed characters, she's proven to be a resourceful director who can always deliver.

4 Mike Flanagan

Mastermind Behind Midnight Mass (2021), The Haunting of Hill House (2018), Doctor Sleep (2019)

Mike Flanagan is one of modern horror's most important filmmakers. All his projects have been acclaimed by most horror fans, and he's actually gained the respect of his peers. This is the guy we want to adapt Stephen King's books because he's shown to have a natural talent for composing worlds and characters that have been impossible to handle in the hands of other directors. Yes, his relationship with Netflix seems unbreakable, but he's also confirmed he can save franchises: no one believed a sequel to The Shining was possible, and he made Doctor Sleep, and Ouija: Origin of Evil is the sequel that no one expected to be as great as it was.

Flanagan showed everyone he could tackle religious horror with the very underrated miniseries Midnight Mass. His knowledge of the subject comes from his education. Also, a few of his films show themes of demonic possession and supernatural tropes that are welcome in the new Exorcist trilogy. This one's also a bit of a stretch, but Flanagan is one of the most talented directors on the list, whose known for achieving modern approaches to the classic elements of horror. Besides, wouldn't you want to see his usual ensemble cast in an Exorcist film?

3 Gigi Saul Guerrero

Lesser-Known Director of Into the Dark - Culture Shock (2019), Bingo Hell (2021), V/H/S/85 - God of Death (2023)

Gigi Saul Guerrerois the list's most obscure director. The young Mexican director was instantly recognized as a very interesting new voice in horror with the web series La Quinceañera. Since then, her participation as a director in The Purge miniseries has proved her worth. However, two of her participation in films stand out as recent examples of her horror skills: the Culture Shock episode of Hulu's series Into the Dark and her segment in V/H/S/85, God of Death. There's no question that this is the beginning of a very interesting career in the genre.

Also known as La Muñeca del Terror, The Doll of Horror, Guerrero has managed to capture the folklore-based traditions of her roots and cleverly insert them into her films. Just like Issa López, she would be a solid pick for tackling the follow-ups to the Exorcist trilogy because she represents horror's new face. She has been vocal about her relationship to the 1973 film, and as risky as her incorporation into the project sounds like, we can't deny that Guerrero would probably frame the story under the concepts she's familiar with, with some being culturally relevant to our times. Besides, the few things she has done are very interesting, which is one of the things executives should definitely observe when continuing the franchise.

2 Leigh Whannell

Director of The Invisible Man (2020), Upgrade (2018), Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

Leigh Whannell is also known as the sole survivor in James Wan's Saw, but one who would meet his demise days after he was locked down in the putrid bathroom where everything happened in the first film. However, a very minor role in The Matrix Reloaded and his friendship proved to be the only thing he needed to begin experimenting with the genre. Whannell stayed in the writer's seat and in secondary acting roles. Then a solid debut with Insidious: Chapter 3 and following up with Upgrade proved he could also work as a leader. His most recent film, The Invisible Man, was universally acclaimed.

Universal Pictures trusts Whannell enough. The success of the only decent film in the Dark Universe is proof that he can handle difficult adaptations that wouldn't necessarily appeal to modern audiences if they followed rules. Participating in the new trilogy of The Exorcist wouldn't be a risky move for the director because he's known to build solid characters with a strong dramatic backdrop. Who knows, maybe this could represent a reunion with Wan, as the two friends parted ways at some point and never worked together again.

1 Ti West

Director of The Sacrament (2013), X (2022), The House of the Devil (2009)

Ti West was best known as the guy who directed the indie horror triumph The House of the Devil, the found footage film The Sacrament, and the ghost feature The Innkeepers. But after the industry failed to recognize his horror talent, he moved to TV, where he directed some episodes of relatively well-known series. However, in 2022, he joined Mia Goth as a writer for X, the A24 film that renewed faith in the slasher genre. Pearl, the prequel, followed after that and West's return to the industry is now a very interesting "restart" on the mainstream side of the genre.

West's style of directing is far from traditional. His films feel original while remaining within the confines of horror rules and tropes. However, his character design is masterful, a consequence of his writing skills that always come in handy with feature films (only one of his films hasn't been written by him, and he disowned it). Tackling the continuation of the Exorcist trilogy means he would have to get closer to franchise rules, and we don't see how that would work. Nevertheless, the franchise actually needs some sort of reboot that can take advantage of a new writer/director's vision of the concept. West is the right guy, and it wouldn't be the first time he's been involved with the franchise because he actually directed an episode of the TV series The Exorcist.

To stay in tune with the franchise of demonic possession, here's a video about how The Exorcist changed horror: