The Exorcist III
The Exorcist III is a 1990 American supernatural psychological horror film written for the screen and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel Legion. It is the third installment in The Exorcist film series and the final installment in Blatty's "Trilogy of Faith" after The Ninth Configuration, serves as a follow-up and direct sequel of The Exorcist. The film stars George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson, Nicol Williamson, and Brad Dourif.
The film follows a character from the original film, Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, who investigates a series of demonic murders in Georgetown that have the hallmarks of the Gemini, a deceased serial killer. Blatty based aspects of the Gemini Killer on the real-life Zodiac Killer, one of several serial killers who enjoyed The Exorcist.
Blatty, who wrote The Exorcist novel and the screenplay for its 1973 film adaptation, conceived The Exorcist III with The Exorcist director William Friedkin attached to direct. When Friedkin left the project, Blatty adapted the script into the 1983 novel Legion. Morgan Creek Productions bought the film rights, with Blatty as director. Initially designed to be a standalone adaptation of that novel, the final cut wound up being an official entry in the filmed series due to Morgan Creek demanding extensive last-minute changes — including the insistence of bringing back a key cast member from the 1973 film, as well as an exorcism sequence for the climax — much to Blatty's frustration. Though some of the original footage appears permanently lost, Scream Factory released a director's cut closer to Blatty's vision in 2016, with footage assembled from various sources.
The Exorcist III was released in the United States on August 17, 1990, by 20th Century Fox as part of their multi-picture deal with Morgan Creek that commenced in 1987 and concluded in 1991, when the latter switched distribution through Warner Bros. Pictures. As such, this was the only film at that point in the series which was not distributed by Warner Bros. until The Exorcist: Believer was released by Universal Pictures in 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $44 million domestically against a production budget of $11 million.
Plot
In Georgetown, fifteen years after Regan MacNeil's exorcism in 1975, Father Joseph Dyer and Lieutenant William F. Kinderman reminisce about Father Damien Karras. The following night, an incident at a church occurs indicating the presence of something supernatural, which causes the Christ figure on a crucifix to open its eyes. A man walking on the street speaks about a dream of "falling down a long flight of steps", suggesting that someone is committing murders linked to Karras' death.The next morning, Kinderman is called to the scene of a murder. Thomas Kintry, a Black youth, has had his head replaced with the head from a statue of Jesus. Afterwards, a priest, Father Kanavan, is murdered in the confessional one night, and is also decapitated. The fingerprints at the crime scenes do not match, indicating different people committed each murder. Dyer falls ill and ends up in hospital which houses a psychiatric ward for the elderly. He is also murdered and decapitated with all of his blood neatly placed in small bottles. After questioning patients in the mental ward, assisted by Sergeant Mel Atkins, Kinderman notices that the murders fit the modus operandi of James Venamun, "The Gemini Killer", a serial killer who was executed fifteen years earlier.
Kinderman visits Father Riley, the head of the church council that Kanavan and Dyer worked for and that Kanavan himself ran fifteen years earlier. When discussing a connection between the murders, Kinderman believes the suspect to be possessed by the Gemini Killer and questions Riley on his belief in possessions. Riley suggests he talk to Father Paul Morning, who handled an exorcism in the Philippines and that "his hair turned white overnight" as a result. Riley reveals a connection between the victims regarding the Regan MacNeil case: Kanavan allowing that exorcism to take place, Dyer being friends with the family, and Kintry's mother being the one who decoded a backwards message on a tape recording of Pazuzu – the entity who possessed Regan.
Kinderman questions another patient at the hospital, elderly Mrs. Clelia, who knows nothing of Dyer's murder. He then visits the head of a psychiatric ward, Dr. Temple, who relates the history of one of his patients. The patient was found wandering aimlessly fifteen years previously with amnesia. He was locked up, catatonic until six weeks ago when he became lucid and violent, claiming to be the Gemini Killer. The patient is Kinderman's old friend Damien Karras, who is in fact possessed by Venamun. The Gemini Killer expresses ignorance of Karras, but boasts of murdering Father Dyer and the other victims years ago.
That night, a nurse is murdered, and Dr. Temple dies by suicide. Kinderman returns to see Karras who is still possessed by the Gemini Killer. The killer explains that he is being aided by "The Master", presumably Pazuzu, who was vengeful for Karras expelling him from Regan's body. "The Master" took the spirit of Venamun, and placed it in Karras's body with Karras' spirit locked inside to witness the horrific acts as punishment. The Gemini Killer has possessed other people in the institution to carry out his murders and forced Dr. Temple to help him.
The Gemini Killer possesses another elderly patient, who leaves the hospital disguised as a nurse and attempts to murder Kinderman and his family at their home. The attack abruptly ends when Father Morning arrives at the hospital to confront Karras, having sensed a calling to perform another exorcism. As he attempts to cleanse Karras, "The Master" intervenes, taking over Karras' body, and Morning is severely mutilated. Kinderman rushes back to the hospital with the now unconscious patient and attempts to euthanize Karras. The possessed Karras then torments and attempts to kill Kinderman.
As "The Master" chants how victory is on his side, Father Morning regains consciousness and tells Karras to fight. The real Karras briefly regains his free will and cries out to Kinderman to shoot and kill him. Kinderman does this, freeing Karras from both the Gemini Killer and his "Master". Later, Kinderman and Sergeant Atkins watch Karras' funeral, his tombstone listing his death at the age of 40 on 9 October 1975.
Cast
Production
Development
, who wrote The Exorcist novel and the screenplay for its film adaptation, initially had no desire to write a sequel. However, he eventually came up with a story titled Legion, featuring Lieutenant Kinderman, a prominent character in the original Exorcist novel, as the protagonist. Blatty conceived Legion as a feature film with William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, attached to direct. Despite the critical and commercial failure of the previous sequel, Warner Bros. was keen to proceed with Blatty and Friedkin's plans for another Exorcist film. Blatty said that "everybody wanted Exorcist III… I hadn't written the script, but I had the story in my head… and Billy loved it". Friedkin, however, soon left the project due to conflicting opinions between him and Blatty on the film.The project went into development hell, and Blatty wrote Legion as a novel instead, published in 1983. It was a bestseller. Blatty then decided to turn the book back into a screenplay. Blatty had a meeting with Steve Jaffe who had been the publicist for both his original Exorcist novel and the original film. He told Jaffe of the problem he had with getting Legion produced because none of the studios would allow him to direct the film. Jaffe agreed to try and package it for Blatty and secured a deal with the film company that would finally make the film. Jaffe served as associate producer on Exorcist III. Film companies Morgan Creek and Carolco both wanted to make the film; Blatty decided upon Morgan Creek after Carolco suggested the idea of a grown-up Regan MacNeil giving birth to possessed twins. Blatty offered directorial responsibilities to John Carpenter. Carpenter was initially interested, but eventually backed out over creative differences. In the book John Carpenter: The Prince of Darkness, Carpenter explained his reasons for not directing the film: "I met with Blatty over the course of a week, perhaps a week and a half. He had director approval, so he was testing and probing me to find out who I was and how smart I was and whether or not I should direct . I was ambivalent about the script, primarily because it didn't have an exorcism. Our time together was a lot of fun. We talked about everything. I kept suggesting a third-act exorcism and pushing the both of us to come up with some new, exciting, and grotesque devil gags. Blatty was resistant. He wanted to direct it and wanted to stay very close to his novel. I respected Blatty, figured out that he really wanted badly to direct the picture, and felt that I couldn't get what I needed. So I withdrew from The Exorcist III."
As per the stipulations for his deal with Morgan Creek, Blatty was to direct the movie himself, and it was to be filmed on location in Georgetown.
Casting
The central role of Lt. Kinderman had to be recast, as Lee J. Cobb, who played the part in The Exorcist, had died in 1976. George C. Scott signed up for the role, impressed by Blatty's screenplay: "It's a horror film and much more… It's a real drama, intricately crafted, with offbeat interesting characters… and that's what makes it genuinely frightening."Several cast members from Blatty's previous film The Ninth Configuration appear in The Exorcist III: Jason Miller, reprising the role of Father Damien Karras from The Exorcist ; Ed Flanders, taking on the role of Father Dyer ; George DiCenzo and Scott Wilson.
There are also cameo appearances by basketball player Patrick Ewing and his college coach John Thompson, model Fabio, ex-Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, television host Larry King, and an early appearance by Samuel L. Jackson in a dream sequence.
Zohra Lampert, who plays Kinderman's wife, is remembered for her lead role in another horror film, 1971's Let's Scare Jessica to Death.