The Exorcist: Ellen Burstyn returns in new David Gordon Green-directed trilogy

The first of the three films is expected to arrive in 2023

Fans have been reacting to news that a new Exorcist trilogy is on the way.

Last year, reports emerged that Halloween director David Gordon Green was on board to helm a follow up to William Friedkin’s original 1973 film.

Now, as reported in The New York Times, Universal has taken on Green to write and direct three new Exorcist films with a budget close to $400m (£289m).

The new trilogy of films is expected to follow Green’s Halloween structure by picking up the story in the present day.

Ellen Burstyn will return to the role of Chris MacNeil, who played the mother of Regan (Linda Blair), a child possessed by the devil.

Leslie Odom Jr will join her as an as yet unnamed new character.

Fans have been reacting to the news on social media, with one saying: “No thanks, I’m still recovering from the first”, while another added: “Now this already sounds like a...hit. David Gordon Green knows how to make Horror movies, and the cast list already fire.”

Some fans were sceptical of the plan, with one saying: “Can anyone come up with something original anymore? Everything is just remakes it seems- creativity is a lost art nowadays”.

The first of the three films could arrive in cinemas in 2023 after Green’s next release, Halloween Kills, which will arrive on 15 October 2021 and Halloween Ends, which is set for a 2022 release.