01 Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
02 The Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
Fascinatingly, “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist” & “The Exorcist: The Beginning” tell largely the same story as told by 2 different creative teams, with both originally intended to serve as the official prequel to “The Exorcist”. “Dominion”, directed by Paul Schrader and written by William Wisher Jr. and Caleb Carr, began filming first and was nearly completed when, reportedly due to a lack of scares and / or gore, Morgan Creek Productions executives decided to change directions and commissioned “Beginning”; bringing in director Renny Harlan & screenwriter Alexi Hawley ( who rewrote William Wisher and Caleb Carr’s original script), while Mark Goldblatt and Todd E. Miller replaced Tim Silano as editors.
Both versions of the film were eventually released with both receiving mixed reviews, though ironically, the original version (Dominion) was widely deemed to be the better version, if only a slight improvement over “The Beginning”.
Both versions star Stellan Skarsgård as Father Lankester Merrin with Julian Wadham as Major Granville, Ralph Brown as Sergeant Major, Andrew French as Chuma, Israel Aduramo as Jomo, Antonie Kamerling as Lieutenant Kessel & Eddie Osei as Emekwi.
Both versions feature different actors as Father Francis & Pazuzu:
Gabriel Mann as Father Francis (Dominion)
James D’Arcy as Father Francis (Beginning)
Mary Beth Hurt as Pazuzu (uncredited – Dominion)
Rupert Degas as Pazuzu (uncredited – Beginning)
Other Dominion Characters Include:
Clara Bellar as Rachel Lesno (Dominon)
Billy Crawford as Cheche (Dominion)
Rick Warden as Corporal Williams (Dominion)
Other Beginning Characters Include:
Izabella Scorupco as Sarah (Beginning)
Remy Sweeney as Joseph (Beginning)
Ben Cross as Semelier (Beginning)
David Bradley as Father Gionetti (Beginning)
Alan Ford as Jefferies (Beginning)
Patrick O’Kane as Bession (Beginning)
James Bellamy as James (Beginning)
03 The Exorcist (1973)
“The Exorcist” is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and produced by William Peter Blatty, who adapted his own 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair, and follows the demonic possession of a young girl and the attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests; the film covers an unspecified length of time but the final night of the climactic exorcism is later revealed to have taken place on October 9, 1975.
Returning characters include the now elderly Father Lankester Merrin (played here by Max von Sydow) & the demon Pazuzu (voiced by Mercedes McCambridge).
New recurring characters include:
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
Jason Miller as Father / Dr. Damien Karras, SJ
Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman
Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer
Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
Father William O’Malley as Father Joseph Dyer
and an uncredited Dick Callinan as Captain Billy Cutshaw.
04 The Ninth Configuration (1980)
“The Ninth Configuration” (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane) is a 1980 American surrealist psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by “The Exorcist” author, William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. It is the second installment in Blatty’s “Trilogy of Faith” after “The Exorcist” (1973), and later followed by “The Exorcist III” (1990). The film is based on Blatty’s 1978 novel The Ninth Configuration, which was itself a reworking of his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane!
The first half of the film has the predominant tone and style of a comic farce. In the second half, the film becomes darker as it delves deeper into its central issues of human suffering, sacrifice and faith. The film also frequently blurs the line between the sane and insane. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was recognized with the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and two other nominations at the 38th Golden Globe Awards.
Scott Wilson plays Captain Billy Cutshaw, the same character who appeared via an uncredited cameo by Dick Callinan in “The Exorcist”, Jason Miller, who played Father / Dr. Damien Karras, SJ in “The Exorcist”, plays Lieutenant Frankie Reno here.
The film reveals the fate of Billy Cutshaw, an astronaut who the Pazuzu possessed Regan MacNeil addressed at a party in the previous film: “You’re going to die up there.” We learn that Cutshaw, previous to this film, suffered an apparent mental breakdown and aborted the Moon launch that the demon spoke of. The rest of the film deals with his possible return to sanity.
05 Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Often considered to be one of the worst films ever made, “Exorcist II: The Heretic” is a 1977 American supernatural science fiction horror film directed by John Boorman and written by William Goodhart. It was the second released installment in The Exorcist film series.
Personally, I enjoy the film, which centers on the now 16-year-old Regan MacNeil, who in 1979 is still recovering from her previous demonic possession, 4 years before.
Returning Characters Include:
Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin
Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer
with Karen Knapp as the uncredited voice of Pazuzu
06 Boorman and the Devil (2025)
Boorman and the Devil is a 2025 American documentary film, produced, edited, and directed by David Kittredge, about John Boorman’s 1977 horror film “Exorcist II: The Heretic”, which nearly ended Boorman’s career.
07 The Exorcist III (1990) / The Exorcist III: Legion (2016)
“The Exorcist III” is a 1990 American supernatural psychological horror film written for the screen and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel “Legion”. It was the fourth installment released in The Exorcist film cycle and the final installment in Blatty’s “Trilogy of Faith” after “The Ninth Configuration” (1980), serving as a follow-up and direct sequel to “The Exorcist” (1973). An altered version, which more closely resembled Blatty’s original intentions for the film (which did not originally include an exorcism, was later released in 2016 as “The Exorcist III: Legion”.
08 The Exorcist TV Series (Sep 23, 2016 – Dec 15, 2017)
“The Exorcist” is an American supernatural horror television series created by Jeremy Slater for Fox. Part of The Exorcist franchise, the series serves as a sequel to the original 1973 film with Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels as a pair of exorcists who investigate cases of demonic possession.
Returning Characters Include:
Sharon Gless as Chris MacNeil (season 1)
Sophie Thatcher as young Regan MacNeil
Geena Davis as Angela Rance / Regan MacNeil
Robert Emmet Lunney as the Salesman / Captain Howdy / Pazuzu
09 Exorcist: Believer (2023)
The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green.
Returning Characters:
Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
10 Exorcist: Martyrs (2027)
“The Exorcist: Martyrs” is an upcoming American supernatural horror film written and directed by Mike Flanagan, which centers on a single-mother cop (played by Scarlett Johansson) who, 13 years after taking down a notorious satanic serial killer, investigates a new series of murders connected to her past, while her 12-year-old son becomes the target of a terrifying demonic force.