Interview with Exorcism Director Joshua John Miller and Writer M.A. Fortin

Tales of cursed sets are not uncommon in Hollywood, but The Exorcism faced a unique set of challenges according to director Joshua John Miller and writer M.A. Fortin. The duo behind The Final Girls script revealed that their production was plagued by religious trauma, COVID, a fire in Australia, and other unexpected events that almost led to the director giving up. However, the film, led by Russell Crowe, was ultimately saved by a series of strange occurrences. The film offers a fresh perspective on religious horror, with a meta movie-within-a-movie aspect championed by Scream creator Kevin Williamson, who serves as a producer. Miller, drawing inspiration from his mother Susan Bernard, a former scream queen, and his father Jason Miller, known for his role in The Exorcist, discusses the challenges they faced during production, from casting to post-production. They touch on the importance of representation with the lesbian couple at the film's center, played by Ryan Simpkins and Chloe Bailey, and share insights on pitching the movie to Russell Crowe, his involvement in casting, and the pivotal role Quentin Tarantino played in saving the project. The duo also hints at a Marilyn Monroe project in the works.