There’s a lot to unpack inThe Exorcism, the new film from writer/directorJoshua John Millerand co-writerM.A. Fortin, not the least of which is where the movie came from, and what it’s trying to achieve. For Miller, the son of the late actor Jason Miller (Father Damien Karras inThe Exorcist), he says that in addition to being a love letter to his dad,it’s also “a FU letter to Hollywood a little bit.”The ExorcismstarsRussell Crowein a meta-tale abouta troubled actor unraveling on the set of his new horror film, but one has to wonder if it’s his past addictions getting the better of him,or if something supernatural is at work?
Sitting down withFangoriafor an in-depth interview ahead ofThe Exorcism’s release on July 25, 2025, Joshua John Miller and M.A. Fortin discussed not only how the film subverts genre expectations,but how personal it was for both of them, who have been longtime partners in life, and in movies. Miller, who co-wrote the filmThe Final Girlswith Fortin, says that while that movie may have been a love letter to his mother,The Exorcismis a love letter to his father.He also callsThe Exorcism“a FU letter to Hollywood a little bit.”
“[We wanted to] subvert the expectations of the genre. But it was definitely also obviously personal. There are personal elements, and I thinkFinal Girlsis very much, obviously, a love letter to my mom, andI thinkThe Exorcismwas a love letter, obviously to my dad, but also a FU letter to Hollywood a little bit, because we wanted to sort of tell a story that Hollywood men making movies in the studio system or working the studio system is a deal with the devil.“
The Exorcism
A troubled actor, Anthony Miller, portrayed by Russell Crowe, begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His daughter, Lee, played by Ryan Simpkins, suspects his erratic behavior might be due to his past addictions or something far more sinister. As the film progresses, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, leading to a tense and chilling climax.
The Exorcismalsostars David Hyde Pierceand is produced by Kevin Williamson’s Outerbanks Entertainment and Miramax, both of which have a long history with horror, but even still, both Miller and Fortin say they were surprised that Miramax was willing to take a chance on the film considering that the filmmakersdon’t think of it as your typical horror movie. Miller adds:
“To me, the horror is in the grief. The horror is in the violence, emotional violence that happens between the daughter and father. The trauma they both share.”
Joshua John Miller Says People Are Going to Call Him An “A**hole”
Miller and Fortinalso sat down with MovieWeb for our own chatwith the two aboutThe Exorcism, which Fortin says was originally titledThe Georgetown Project, a reference to the film that Russell Crowe is making in the movie. It wasn’t until recently that the title ofThe Exorcismwas adopted,which Miller says comes from a place of nostalgia, something he says is very prominent in today’s society.
“I think the world presently is complicated, obviously, globally, domestically, socially, and I think that there’s a huge premium placed on nostalgia…our need to be nostalgic, and reexamine the things from our childhood, or another time, and I think that’s part of us grieving the past, and wanting to try and return to it in certain ways because we’re sad it no longer exists.”
The Exorcism’s Director Recalls First Seeing His Dad’s ‘Dangerous Movie’
Joshua John Miller remembers being “pretty young” when he watched his father, Jason Miller, in The Exorcist for the first time.
He would go on to say that if people are expectingThe Exorcism(which also stars Chole Bailey) to be like the film his father starred in way back in 1973,they’re in for a disappointment. He says that some people willprobably even call him an “a**hole.”
“I think there’s gonna be people who are going to jump on the rise with us, and thenI think people are going to be like, ‘You’re an a**hole!Why isn’t this giving me Exorcism 101 [vibes]?’”
Audiences can judge for themselves whetherThe Exorcismlives up to all Miller and Fortin hope it will be when it hits theaters on June 06, 2025. Check out the trailer below.
