Russell Crowe's R-Rated 'Exorcist' Replacement Is Officially Back on Streaming

There are plenty of exorcism movies to choose from in October, but not many of them have Russell Crowe riding around Italy on a tiny Vespa while working directly for the Pope. That alone helped turn one relatively modest horror movie into a surprise theatrical hit — and eventually a franchise.

That movie is The Pope's Exorcist, and it has officially found a new streaming home on Prime Video just in time for Halloween. The 2023 supernatural horror movie made more than $77 million worldwide against a reported budget of around $18 million, which is a pretty healthy return for Crowe fighting demons. What's more, producer Jeff Katz soon announced a sequel would be on the way on social media, although that's gone quiet for the moment.

Katz also hinted at possible titles for the sequel, inspired by the naming style of the Planet of the Apes series. "I personally want to go Planet of the Apes with it so you would get stuff like 'Pray for the Pope's Exorcist' or 'Heaven Help the Pope's Exorcist' and the like," he said, while Crowe also recently discussed the potential expansion of the series. In an interview with The Six O'Clock Show, he mentioned the possibility of a trilogy.

"Well that's in discussion at the moment," Crowe explained. "The producers originally got the kick off from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there's been a change of studio heads at the moment, so that's going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man. We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances." He also noted the extensive source material available, based on the life of Father Gabriele Amorth, who authored 12 books.

What Was 'The Pope's Exorcist' About?

Father Amorth, upon whom the movie is loosely based, was a significant figure within the Catholic Church. He served as the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican and claimed to have performed over 100,000 exorcisms during his career. However, Amorth also acknowledged that many of the cases he encountered were not demonic possessions but mental health issues. His fascinating life and work led him to found the International Association of Exorcists. His experiences have been documented in various books and were also featured in William Friedkin's 2017 documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth. The Pope's Exorcist draws heavily from Amorth's real case files, blending fact with cinematic fiction to tell its compelling story.