The Exorcist director denies reboot rumors: 'Not enough money or motivation in the world'

Director William Friedkin has never been involved with sequels of the classic 1973 horror The Exorcist, and he's not about to start now.

"There's a rumor on IMDB that I'm involved with a new version Of The Exorcist. This isn't a rumor, it's a flat-out lie. There's not enough money or motivation in the world To get me to do this," the filmmaker tweeted Wednesday.

It was reported in August that Morgan Creek Entertainment was working on a theatrical reboot of The Exorcist for 2021. However, the company recently retweeted their 2015 promise that "we will never attempt to remake THE EXORCIST."

Directed by Friedkin, the original Exorcist was based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and told the tale of 12-year-old girl's (Linda Blair) demonic possession and the subsequent exorcism to save her. It was the first horror film to ever be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it scored nine other nominations, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.

It was followed by four films, none of which received the same critical or commercial success: John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977, which has been called one of the worst films ever made (including by Friedkin); 1990's The Exorcist III directed by Blatty; Renny Harlin's Exorcist: The Beginning in 2004; and Paul Schrader's Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist the next year. A television series based on the first film debuted in 2016 and was canceled after the second season.

Prior to The Exorcist, Friedkin won an Oscar for Best Director for The French Connection. He's also helmed the films Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A., the horror Bug, Killer Joe, and 2017's The Devil and Father Amorth, a documentary about the ninth exorcism of an Italian woman.

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