The Exorcist (film series) was refilmed by director Renny Harlin. However, Schrader's version received a limited release in 2005, after Harlin's, and was titled "". On January 22, 2016, 20th Century Fox Television announced they were developing a television series of "The Exorcist". It premiered on September 23, 2016. Based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, "The Exorcist" marries three scenarios into one plot. The film opens with Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) on an archaeological dig in Al-hadar, near Nineveh, in Iraq. He is alerted that a small carving is found in the dig, resembling a grimacing, bestial creature. After talking
The Exorcist version, retitled "", was given a small theatrical release. Blatty directed "The Ninth Configuration", a post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution. Released in 1980, it was based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of "The Exorcist," Blatty regards "Configuration" as its true sequel. The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw. A made-for-television film, "Possessed" (based on the book of the same name by Thomas B. Allen), was broadcast on Showtime on October 22, 2000, directed by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and