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Fox Compelled to Order ‘The Exorcist’ Pilot
I just spit pea soup all over my computer screen.
Fox has officially ordered a pilot for “The Exorcist,” based on William Blatty’s 1971 novel, which inspired the iconic 1973 horror film of the same name, reports Variety.
The one-hour drama pilot is described as a modern reinvention inspired by Blatty’s book — a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.
[Related Post] Watch Unseen FX Test Footage From The Exorcist! (Exclusive)
The project hails from 20th Century Fox Television, in association with Morgan Creek Productions, and was written by Jeremy Slater, who also executive produces alongside James Robinson, David Robinson and Barbara Wall.
Slater is the most exciting and promising addition to the news, and someone I have a lot of faith in (pun intended). He’s behind the upcoming Pet and Death Note, as well as Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot and The Lazarus Effect.
As much as I like Slater’s work, I have my reservations. Obviously, there’s no way a modern television series can come close to being as scary and shocking as the original film. If we’re to accept this reality, financially this makes sense for Fox. The Exorcist is THE horror film that penetrates outside of the horror crowd; nearly everyone has heard of the film, whether or not they’ve braved to see it.
I don’t shame Fox for making this move, although the fact that Fox makes crappy genre television shows doesn’t really sit well with me…
[Related Post] Watch Audiences React to ‘The Exorcist’!
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for his role in 1993’s Jurassic Park, has passed away this week at 78 years old. In a statement shared on Neill’s Instagram page this morning, the actor’s family said that his passing was “sudden and unexpected.”
Neill had been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2022, but stated the following year that he was in remission. The family notes that he “remained cancer free” at the time of his passing.
The family statement reads, “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.
“They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
In addition to his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in the original Jurassic Park and the sequels Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World: Dominion, Sam Neill left an indelible mark on the horror genre with memorable roles in Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, The Omen: The Final Conflict, John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, and sci-fi horror favorite Event Horizon.
Sam Neill’s vast resume in film and television began in the early 1970s and also includes the films Sleeping Dogs, Enigma, The Good Wife, A Cry in the Dark, Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Hostage, The Jungle Book, Snow White: A Tale of Terror, The Horse Whisperer, Bicentennial Man, Daybreakers, Escape Plan, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Sam Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
Steven Spielberg said in a statement to Variety, “I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.”
Spielberg adds, “Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Sam Neill in ‘Event Horizon’
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