The Exorcist Sequel John Carpenter Passed On – Because It Had No Exorcisms

John Carpenter passed on an Exorcist sequel because of one big issue with the script: a total lack of exorcisms. The original Exorcist was a genuine phenomenon when it hit theaters in 1973, and is considered one of the best horror movies ever made. It didn’t lend itself naturally to becoming a franchise, which might explain why subsequent The Exorcist movies have struggled critically and commercially. Exorcist II: The Heretic was such a disaster in 1977 that director John Boorman (Deliverance) had to go back and recut the sequel while it was still in theaters to try and salvage it.