The Exorcism (film)

The Exorcism is a 2024 American supernatural horror film starring Russell Crowe as Anthony Miller, an actor whose deteriorating mental state on a horror movie set causes his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins) to suspect either his former addictions or a more sinister cause. It is directed by Joshua John Miller, from a script he co-wrote with M. A. Fortin. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, Adrian Pasdar, and David Hyde Pierce.

Vertical released The Exorcism in theaters in the United States on June 21, 2024, and digital platforms on July 9, 2024.

Plot
In New York City, an actor is inspecting the set of a supernatural horror film, The Georgetown Project (resembling The Exorcist), alone; strange things happen, and he is mysteriously killed.

The director taps aging, alcoholic actor Anthony Miller to star as a priest in the film. Anthony's daughter Lee, suspended from high school, is his personal assistant on the film; both are recovering from her mother's death. Miller's background as a sexual abuse victim comes out, and he has difficulty on the film set and off, often having flashbacks to his molestation. The director discusses replacing him, and derides Miller's troubled past and lost faith. Lee becomes increasingly concerned about her father's bizarre behavior, including cutting himself, sleepwalking, and refusing to take his medication.

Meanwhile, Lee makes friends with Blake, a popular TV actress who plays a possessed girl in the film. The two of them consult Father Conor, a Catholic priest and psychiatrist who is a consultant for the film, about Miller's frightening behavior. Miller acts on set as if possessed, contorting his body and slamming his head into a table. He is replaced by Joe, who was playing another priest character. When alone on set, Joe sees a phantom of Miller and is killed by flying glass from a mirror. At home, Miller suddenly attacks Lee, then jumps out a window.

Father Conor decides to perform an exorcism during filming of the set. Lee finds him and Blake paralyzed in front of the now-possessed Miller, who ridicules Lee's attempts to use a prayer book. She manages to burn him with a crucifix, which snaps Conor and Blake out of paralysis. Conor randomly gives up and offers himself to the demon, telling the girls to run. After Conor is possessed, Miller is roused to stab him with the crucifix, and to use the prayer book's exorcism rite sincerely as Lee also joins in; Conor catches on fire and the demon is defeated.

Later on, in another location, Miller reminisces how things have improved between him and his daughter. Lee soon begins work on a film script.

Production
In October 2019, it was announced Russell Crowe had joined the cast of the film, then titled The Georgetown Project, with Joshua John Miller directing from a screenplay he wrote with M. A. Fortin. Miramax was to produce the film. In November 2019, Ryan Simpkins, Chloe Bailey, Sam Worthington, David Hyde Pierce, Tracey Bonner, Samantha Mathis, Adrian Pasdar and Adam Goldberg joined the cast of the film.

Principal photography began in Wilmington, North Carolina in November 2019 and wrapped in December. Additional filming was delayed due to COVID-19 and did not take place until 2023 in New York City, Los Angeles and Australia. Post-production did not finish until January 2024. By April 2024, the film had been retitled The Exorcism.

Release
In April 2024, Vertical acquired North American distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a theatrical release in the United States on June 21, 2024. Shudder also acquired pay-one rights to the film. The movie was released on digital platforms on July 9, 2024.

Box office
, The Exorcism has grossed $4.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $7.7 million.

In the United States and Canada, The Exorcism was released alongside The Bikeriders and Thelma, and was projected to gross $1–2 million from 2,240 theaters (setting a record as the highest amount of theaters for a Vertical release) in its opening weekend. It ended up debuting to $2.5 million, finishing in seventh.

Critical response
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 38% positive score.