In 1977, audiences were counting down the days until the sequel to William Friedkin’s recently revolutionary horror movie, The Exorcist. Instead, it became known as one of the most notorious flops of all time in Hollywood history. Directed by John Boorman, Exorcist II: The Heretic was meant to build on the legacy of its predecessor, but it instead elicited ridicule from critics and dismay from audiences who expected a gripping follow-up.
As the movie opened at box office, the film accomplished unprecedented success on the opening weekend. It broke records due to the intense public yearning for a follow-up. The hope soon turned into frustration. Viewers were met with a story that deviated deep from the original’s bone-chilling aesthetic, substituting instead a cosmos-spanning, surreal, metaphysical voyage. Critics were equally merciless in their assessments, with one arguing that it “evokes not horror but mirth.”
For one, director John Boorman found himself on the brink of production hell, as the film’s production was characterized by a long line of calamities. Cast and crew members frequently contracted illnesses. The ordeal got so rough that even the director contracted valley fever, an often debilitating illness that forced production to a halt. The fights didn’t only happen in post production though, shooting was just as difficult. Actress Linda Blair very nearly had a real-life fatal accident when she almost fell off a skyscraper set piece.
Even with these obstacles, Boorman didn’t let up. He directed Richard Burton, then fresh from his success on Broadway in Equus. Almost the whole movie was filmed on sound stages in Burbank, California—even scenes taking place in Africa. To Boorman’s credit, he tried to rescue his film’s legacy by re-editing it to expunge scenes that caused unwelcome guffaws.
If Warner Bros. let it go to that, the re-editing costs might be astronomical. They protected the original version of Exorcist II: The Heretic, leaving Boorman feeling helpless and humiliated. In a moment of despair, he reflected on his situation:
“I considered my choices. The first was to commit suicide. The second was to defect to Russia.” – John Boorman
The film’s release became a watershed moment for Boorman, as he wrestled with the storm of outrage. Critics were merciless, calling it “the stupidest major movie ever made” and labeling it “a movie for morons, a total cheesy rip-off that makes not one minute of coherent sense.” The torrent of mockery tended to make Boorman feel depressed and near suicidal.
Audiences looked forward to much of the oppressive, nightmarish horror, exemplified in The Exorcist. Rather, they found themselves confronted by a story that was heavy on metaphysics and surrealism but light on shock. This shift away from horror didn’t sit well with audiences who had been expecting a much scarier film.