'Exorcist' Prequel In The Works

John Frankenheimer Signed On To Direct

LOS ANGELES, 4:02 p.m. EDT August 9, 2001 -- It looks as though "The Exorcist" is coming back to haunt moviegoers.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker John Frankenheimer has been signed on to direct a prequel to the 1973 horror thriller.

According to the Reporter, The "Exorcist" prequel concerns the story of Father Merrin (played by Max von Sydow in the original) back to his first encounter with the devil during missionary work in post-World War II Africa.

Frankenheimer has directed such thrillers as "The Manchurian Candidate," "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The French Connection II," and most recently, helmed "Ronin" and "Reindeer Games."

The first "Exorcist," starring Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn and directed by William Friedkin, went on to snag 10 Oscar nominations and win two. It spawned two sequels, "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" and "Exorcist III."

[an error occurred while processing this directive]