Box Office: ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Crosses Off $11.9 Million Opening Day

J. Kim Murphy
·3 min read
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Nearly 50 years after William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” landed in theaters to leg out a run as the highest-grossing feature of 1973, a new sequel to it is opening on top of the box office. Universal’s “The Exorcist: Believer” compelled audiences to the tune of an $11.9 million opening day from 3,663 locations, a number including $2.85 million in previews.

The Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment production should have no trouble taking the top spot through the weekend, though “Believer” now looks to be debuting lower than its more optimistic projections, which had forecast a $30 million gross over the three-day frame. The horror entry should take in around $28 million through Sunday.

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The film is also doing much less business than director David Gordon Green’s last spin on a classic horror franchise at Blumhouse; his 2018 “Halloween” became a smash hit with a $76 million debut. “Believer” also won’t be matching the 1973 original’s run, which still stands as a series-high with a $441 million lifetime gross. Adjusted for inflation, that’s the ninth-biggest earner in box office history.

That superlative reputation is why Universal ponied up a hair-raising $400 million to purchase rights for this new “Exorcist” trilogy, which sees Ellen Burstyn reprise her role from the Friedkin original. A sequel, “The Exorcist: Deceiver,” has already been slated for 2025, though it remains unclear whether director Green will return or if the follow-up will debut on Universal’s service Peacock. When first announced in 2021, the then-more competitive bidding market among streamers was a defining component to the massive deal.

Typical to the Blumhouse model, “The Exorcist: Believer” wasn’t a very expensive project once the pieces were in place; the film carries a $30 million production budget. But Universal put a lot of chips on this new trilogy and it’s not making the big splash that was certainly anticipated.

Whether “Believer” can leave a lasting impression on audiences remains up in the air. Not helping matters are overwhelmingly negative reviews, with Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman writing that the film “feels about as dangerous as a crucifix dipped in a bottle of designer water.” Audiences are also remarkably negative, as indicated by the “C” grade determined by research firm Cinema Score. Horror does trend lower than most genres, but Green’s “Halloween” reboot managed to land a friendly “B+.”

“The Exorcist: Believer” ignores the events of the various sequels to Friedkin’s original, instead reintroducing viewers to Chris MacNeil (Burstyn), who is recruited by a group of parents to help with the exorcism of two pre-teen girls possessed by Satan. Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz and newcomers Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum also star.

Last week’s champ “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is wagging on down to second. The Paramount release looks to fetch an $11.6 million gross for its second weekend, falling only 49% from its opening.

Bronze is going to “Saw X,” only projecting a 55% drop in its sophomore outing after earning $2.4 million on Friday. Horror entries usually face heftier tumbles, but the Lionsgate release is getting a leg up on the competition with some very strong reviews. On paper, “The Exorcist: Believer” is the more prestigious title, but it’ll be intriguing to see which horror entry winds up ahead once Halloween season starts to simmer down.

Disney’s “The Creator” is going to fourth place after earning $1.73 million on Friday. It’s facing a drop of approximately 64% for its second outing — too steep for a film with an $80 million production budget. Total domestic gross is currently at $20.5 million.

“The Blind” looks to round out the top five, with rivals projecting a mere 18% drop for the Fathom Events release. The faith-based biopic is based on the life of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson, examining his romantic relationship with Kay Robertson and their Christianity.

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