John Boorman’s Exorcist 2: The Heretic was changed during opening weekend following hostile audience response to the film. The highly-anticipated sequel to the original box office phenomenon was disliked by audiences and critics alike upon its original release in 1977.
When William Friedkin’s The Exorcist was released on Christmas Day in 1973, lines stretched around the block. The film created headlines for the sizable crowds and the audience hysteria that unfolded inside theaters. Patrons waited hours in long lines to see the film, which had many people fainting or running out of the auditorium in fright. Based on late author William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, the story of a young girl possessed by the devil touched a nerve with the moviegoing public. It would go on to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards, win two and make a teen star out of actress Linda Blair. The film would also start an entire subgenre of possession movies.
The film’s success would inevitably start talk of a sequel at Warner Brothers. Though back in the early 70s, a follow-up to a successful film was not always a certainty. It would take huge moneymakers like The Exorcist and Jaws just a few years later for executives to start thinking more proactively about sequels and the concept of a franchise. Both Friedkin and Blatty were opposed to a sequel early on, so it was up to co-producer Richard Lederer to take the initiative. The first idea pursued was a low budget continuation focusing on the investigation into the exorcism of the original film. Using unused outtakes and actual footage – it would have been a rather unambitious way to follow up the phenomenal success of The Exorcist.
Exorcist II Was Reedited On Opening Weekend
This kind of cynical thinking might explain the trajectory of the final product, though on paper, the sequel that was green-lit sounded promising. Director John Boorman was an in-demand name after Deliverance and lauded playwright William Goodhart wrote the screenplay. Esteemed actors Richard Burton and Louise Fletcher were cast alongside a returning Blair and Max von Sydow. Blair has stated that she was very excited about the project as the original script was well written and dealt with some interesting themes. Goodhart wanted to take a more metaphysical and intellectual approach to the material, which was a bold step in the opposite direction of the original film.
Trouble set in early as Boorman rethought the script and brought in another writer, Rospo Pallenberg, to rewrite it as they were filming. According to Blair, the final cut was completely different than the original script. As harbinger of things to come, Friedkin, who was visiting the Technicolor facilities, was asked if he wanted to take a look at a finished print of the sequel. Intuitively, he knew that the film would not be embraced by the public, but no one could have predicted the audience reaction.
Anticipation for the film was huge, with sold out showings throughout the U.S. There were reports of audience throwing objects at the screen and near-riots by angry fans who felt betrayed by the film’s more metaphysical leanings. Reaction was so negative that Boorman decided to edit prints while they were being exhibited in theaters. He made several small, cosmetic changes, got rid of some scenes entirely and cut the entire ending of the film, which received the most derision from audiences. He worked on about six prints a day, but considering it was the widest release in Warner Brother’s history, it was a losing battle.
Boorman’s hasty edits did nothing to change reaction to his film, and ended up confusing audiences even more. Critics were not kind to the film either, with most reviews panning it outright – some calling it one of the worst films ever made. When the dust had settled, Exorcist II ended up making a profit for the studio – grossing over $30 million on a budget of $14 million. However, any hope that the studio had of a franchise was killed by the negative reaction. It took thirteen years before another Exorcist film was released, but by then, interest in the subject matter had waned. Based on his novel Legion, a direct follow-up to The Exorcist, Blatty wrote and directed Part III. While the film wasn't a commercial success, it was well-received by critics and eventually developed a large following. Blatty’s film does not reference the events of The Exorcist 2.
