Editorial Staff
According to Bloody Disgusting, Screen Gems are moving forward with a sequel to Russell Crowe starrer The Pope’s Exorcist, which has so far grossed $52 million at the box office. There’s plenty of real-life tales to mine from, what with the film based on a real figure – Father Gabriele Amorth, the legendary Italian priest who performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican.
In our review of the film, we wrote “Unlike the devil himself – who we’re advised minutes into this effective The Exorcist (1973) homage can readily steal the soul of anyone – this latest addition to the subgenre isn’t that unique or skilled that it holds the ability to take anyone’s breath away. Russell Crowe, on the other hand, playing the film’s Father Merrin of sorts, will completely possess you – with one of his finest, and quite surprisingly funnest performances in recent times.
Based on the real-life adventures – he’s as much a Robert Langdon type, the protagonist in Dan Brown’s religious-skewed, puzzle-box adventure books, as he is an demon demolisher- of Italian catholic priest Gabriele Amorth, The Pope’s Exorcist is a relatively unoriginal and predictable yarn but it’s elevated by a very strong performance by Crowe as well as some terrific visual and physical effects that easily helps hold attention for it’s 103 swift-moving minutes.
Crowe’s take on the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican is played almost tongue-in-cheek, mixing self-assured charm and wit with an ability to go all ‘Oscar clip’ when the moment calls. Here his unrivaled man of the cloth offers up his shrewd and exceptional skills to a family whose youngest member has seemingly been overtaken by Satan. While uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden, Amorth realizes the demon’s plan is as much to destroy this family as it is him.”
No we wait to hear whether Crowe and Julius Avery are all in on the sequel.
