The Exorcist Believer Budget
Horror1h 51mUpdated
Synopsis
Since his wife's death, Victor has raised his daughter Angela alone. After she and her friend return from a three-day disappearance with missing memories, they begin displaying frightening behavior reminiscent of the MacNeil possession fifty years prior.
What is the budget of The Exorcist Believer?
"The Exorcist Believer," a horror released in 2023, was directed by David Gordon Green and stars Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Casting: Ellen Burstyn reprised her role as Chris MacNeil from the original film, with Leslie Odom Jr.
What were the major cost factors in The Exorcist Believer?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The Exorcist Believer."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does The Exorcist Believer's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $30,000,000, The Exorcist Believer sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
- A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
- Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
- Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
The Exorcist Believer Box Office Performance
"The Exorcist Believer" earned $65,537,395 domestically and $136,998,069 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $30,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "The Exorcist Believer," that break-even threshold was roughly $60,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $136,998,069, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $30,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $136,998,069
- Net Return: $106,998,069
- ROI: approximately 356.7%
At 356.7%, "The Exorcist Believer" earned roughly $4.57 for every $1 invested in production.
The Exorcist Believer Production History
Ellen Burstyn reprised her role as Chris MacNeil from the original film, with Leslie Odom Jr. co-starring as a father who tracks down Chris to help his possessed child. Raphael Sbarge joined the cast as a pastor. Jennifer Nettles has a "primary role" in the film. Helen Leahey was cast as the main voice of the demon.
In February 2022, Burstyn stated that she had completed production for her part in the film. Though Green had previously stated that he would begin work on the sequel after completing Halloween Ends (2022), given the actress' age and the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the production team worked with Burstyn to make sure they had her part completed for the film. Linda Blair, who portrayed Regan MacNeil in the first film, was an "advisor" on set.
Awards and Recognition
2 wins & 22 nominations total
Critical Reception
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale, the same as The Exorcist III and Exorcist: The Beginning, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 61% positive score.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did The Exorcist: Believer cost to make?
The production budget was $30,000,000. Blumhouse Productions and Morgan Creek Entertainment co-financed the film, with Universal Pictures handling theatrical distribution. Universal's $400,000,000 acquisition of franchise rights from Morgan Creek aimed at a planned trilogy is widely cited as a separate commitment from the production budget itself.
How much did The Exorcist: Believer earn at the box office?
The film grossed $65,222,565 domestically and $71,800,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of approximately $137,000,000. It opened to $26,500,000 on October 6, 2023, finishing second behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
Who stars in The Exorcist: Believer?
Leslie Odom Jr. plays Victor Fielding, a single father whose daughter and a friend become possessed. Ellen Burstyn returns as Chris MacNeil from the 1973 original, fifty years after her original performance. Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum play the possessed teenagers, with Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, and Norbert Leo Butz in supporting roles.
Who directed The Exorcist: Believer?
David Gordon Green directed the film. Green had previously revitalized the Halloween franchise with Halloween (2018, $10,000,000 budget, $255,600,000 worldwide), Halloween Kills (2021), and Halloween Ends (2022) for Blumhouse and Universal.
Where was The Exorcist: Believer filmed?
Principal photography took place in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, taking advantage of the state's 30% film production tax credit. Georgia doubled for the unnamed suburban American setting of the source material.
What did critics think of The Exorcist: Believer?
The film received largely negative reviews, with a 22% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 38 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Audiences gave the film a C+ CinemaScore. Critics objected to the conventional possession-thriller structure and felt the Ellen Burstyn reprise was underused.
Was The Exorcist: Believer profitable?
The theatrical run produced a modest profit on production cost but did not justify Universal's $400,000,000 franchise rights acquisition. Against the $30,000,000 budget and an estimated $50,000,000 in marketing spend, the worldwide gross of $137,000,000 cleared theatrical break-even but left the broader franchise economics deeply unfavorable.
What happened to the Believer sequels?
Universal had originally announced two sequels, The Exorcist: Deceiver and a third unnamed film, with David Gordon Green attached. After the disappointing critical reception of Believer, Universal scrapped the Deceiver plans and replaced Green with Mike Flanagan, who is developing a separate take on the franchise.
How does The Exorcist: Believer compare to the original Exorcist?
Believer ($137,000,000 worldwide) substantially underperformed The Exorcist (1973, $11,000,000 budget, $441,300,000 worldwide), which remains one of the most profitable horror films ever made. Adjusted for inflation, the 1973 film grossed over $2,000,000,000 in modern dollars.
Where can I stream The Exorcist: Believer?
The film is available for digital rental and purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. It later joined Peacock through Universal's output deal, providing the bulk of post-theatrical viewership.
Official Trailer
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