When Warner Bros. handed director John Boorman the keys to The Exorcist franchise following his triumphs with Point Blank and Deliverance, they expected another box-office miracle. Instead, they got 1977’s Exorcist II: The Heretic—one of the most notoriously catastrophic, utterly bizarre sequels in cinematic history.
A critical and commercial trainwreck, The Heretic nearly ruined Boorman’s career and fundamentally altered how Hollywood greenlit big-budget risks. Yet, nearly five decades later, a new documentary, Boorman and the Devil, is stepping up to defend the magnificent madness of taking giant creative swings.
Directed and edited by David Kittredge (The Sweet Life) and produced by indie horror heavyweight Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife), Jim Fall, and Kittredge, the acclaimed feature documentary explores the ambition, craft, and polarizing legacy of Boorman’s wild sequel.
Distributor Yellow Veil Pictures is bringing the documentary to theaters starting August 28 at The Quad Cinema in New York City, before expanding wider on September 4 to major cities including Los Angeles, Houston, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, and more.
Heavy Hitters Defend a Hollywood Legend
The documentary features an impressive roster of filmmakers and horror royalty reflecting on the artistry behind the disaster, including John Boorman (Director, Exorcist II: The Heretic) himself. He’s joined by Linda Blair (Regan MacNeil), Louise Fletcher (Dr. Gene Tuskin), and horror maestro Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep). Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) and Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Jennifer’s Body) also appear.
A Love Letter to Big Creative Swings
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” says director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema lovers… I miss big, ambitious filmmaking that takes huge risks. In 1977, John Boorman took an enormous creative and commercial swing with The Heretic which didn’t connect with almost anybody at the time—but now we can look back and appreciate how big creative swings are what going to the movies is all about.”
Kittredge adds, “Boorman is one of the greatest filmmakers that has ever stepped behind a camera, and I’m so happy to be telling the story of the one film that not only nearly destroyed him, but forever changed the way he made films.”
Whether you view Exorcist II: The Heretic as an unmitigated disaster or an underrated piece of surrealist art, this documentary promises an unmissable look at what happens when a legendary auteur flies too close to the sun.
Catch Boorman and the Devil at NYC’s The Quad starting August 28, or in theaters nationwide beginning September 4.
