Russell Crowe Horror Movie The Pope’s Exorcist Sequel Confirmed by Producer

Despite only being released in 2023, The Pope’s Exorcist has already achieved a level of cult status that some horror films have waited years for. Thanks in large part to Russell Crowe’s scenery-chewing performance as Father Gabriele Amorth, the film continues to win over moviegoers who have watched it, and it doesn’t hurt that it has been the subject of several internet memes, which has made Crowe on a moped the movie’s signature image. For those worried that the Pope would not be making a return, fear not! It would appear that a sequel to The Pope’s Exorcist is in the works.

The Pope’s Exorcist

Release Date

April 7, 2023

Studio

2.0 Entertainment, Jesus & Mary, Loyola Productions

Producer Jeff Katz took to his social media to confirm that he officially received the holy call to move forward with a follow-up to The Pope’s Exorcist. Katz’s tweet reads, “Amorth Nation — I just got the call. IT’S OFFICIALLY HAPPENING. Thank you to the amazing [The Pope’s Exorcist] fans. You made this happen. Gas up your Lambretta — get ready to ride.”

Katz even got fun with a fan’s question regarding the sequel’s title, with the producer saying he wants the naming of the sequels to fall in line with the naming system for the Planet of the Apes films. Katz said, “I personally want to go Planet of the Apes with it so you would get stuff like Pray for the Pope’s Exorcist or Heaven Help the Pope’s Exorcist and the like. But that’s just me.”

The Pope’s Exorcist Is Based on the Books of Father Gabriele Amorth

Directed by Julius Avery from a screenplay by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, The Pope’s Exorcist is based on the 1990 book An Exorcist Tells His Story and the 1992 book An Exorcist: More Stories by Father Gabriele Amorth. The film follows Amorth (Crowe), the Vatican’s leading exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy that the Vatican has tried to keep a secret. In addition to Crowe, the movie also stars Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, and Franco Nero.

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The Pope’s Exorcist received mixed reviews from critics, scoring a 49 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was a decent-sized box office hit. Despite only grossing $20 million domestically, the film played well internationally, taking in $77 million worldwide on an $18 million budget. The movie has also garnered a cult following after its theatrical run, likely making its sequel prospects brighter. No word on if Crowe is officially returning for the sequel, but the actor expressed interest in returning after the film’s release, even indicating that the plan was to make a trilogy.

“Well that’s in discussion at the moment. The producers originally got the kick off from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there’s been a change of studio heads at the moment, so that’s going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man. We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances. And remember, that man that’s based on, Gabriele Amorth, he wrote 12 books. So we have more than enough source material to do one or two more of those films.”