Fifty years after the original, newly released The Exorcist: Believer&nbsp;topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $27.2 million in ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

Analyst David A. Gross called that "a good opening for a horror sequel," the best of any of the Exorcist&nbsp;movies, despite what he said were poor reviews and lukewarm audience scores for Blumhouse and Universal's Halloween-timed film.

Like the original, Believer&nbsp;features possessed victims convulsing, covered in sores and speaking in tongues. It also has a decidedly interfaith exorcism. Leslie Odom Jr. and Ann Dowd star, with an appearance by Ellen Burstyn from the 1973 original.

Believer&nbsp;was to have opened on Friday the 13th, but the studio moved up its release to avoid conflicting with the release that day of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,&nbsp;a concert film certain to generate big numbers, Variety reported.

Last weekend's box office leader, Paramount's family-friendly Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,&nbsp;slipped slightly to second, at $11.8 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period.

The Paw pups, using new superpowers as they fight to protect their city, are voiced by actors Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Serena Williams and McKenna Grace.

In third, also down one spot, is Lionsgate's horror flick Saw X, at $8.2 million. This latest in the Saw&nbsp;series, again with Tobin Bell as the infamous Jigsaw, has received strongly positive reviews.

The fourth spot, down from third, went to 20th Century sci-fi thriller The Creator,&nbsp;at $6.1 million. John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe and Allison Janney play humans in a world at war with artificial intelligence.

Holding steady in fifth was Fathom Events' faith-based movie The Blind, at $3.1 million. It portrays the real-life struggles of swamp-dwelling reality TV star Phil Robertson with addiction and romance.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

A Haunting in Venice&nbsp;($2.7 million)

The Nun II&nbsp;($2.6 million)

Dumb Money&nbsp;($2.2 million)

The Equalizer 3&nbsp;($1.8 million)

Hocus Pocus: 30th Anniversary ($1.5 million)

Fifty years after the original, newly released The Exorcist: Believer topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $27.2 million in ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

Fifty years after the original, newly released The Exorcist: Believer topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $27.2 million in ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. Analyst David A. Gross called that "a good opening for a horror sequel," the best of any of the Exorcist movies, despite what he said were poor reviews and lukewarm audience scores for Blumhouse and Universal's Halloween-timed film. Like the original, Believer features possessed victims convulsing, covered in sores and speaking in tongues. It also has a decidedly interfaith exorcism. Leslie Odom Jr. and Ann Dowd star, with an appearance by Ellen Burstyn from the 1973 original. Believer was to have opened on Friday the 13th, but the studio moved up its release to avoid conflicting with the release that day of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a concert film certain to generate big numbers, Variety reported. Last weekend's box office leader, Paramount's family-friendly Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, slipped slightly to second, at $11.8 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. The Paw pups, using new superpowers as they fight to protect their city, are voiced by actors Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Serena Williams and McKenna Grace. In third, also down one spot, is Lionsgate's horror flick Saw X, at $8.2 million. This latest in the Saw series, again with Tobin Bell as the infamous Jigsaw, has received strongly positive reviews. The fourth spot, down from third, went to 20th Century sci-fi thriller The Creator, at $6.1 million. John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe and Allison Janney play humans in a world at war with artificial intelligence. Holding steady in fifth was Fathom Events' faith-based movie The Blind, at $3.1 million. It portrays the real-life struggles of swamp-dwelling reality TV star Phil Robertson with addiction and romance. Rounding out the top 10 were: A Haunting in Venice ($2.7 million) The Nun II ($2.6 million) Dumb Money ($2.2 million) The Equalizer 3 ($1.8 million) Hocus Pocus: 30th Anniversary ($1.5 million)

A new Exorcist takes possession of North America box office

David Gordon Green's ill-fated attempt to rekindle the eerie brilliance of William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist, has culminated in a cinematic blunder of biblical proportions with The Exorcist: Believer. The audacity of this cinematic atrocity is enough to make your head spin — not in a possessed-by-demons way, but in a "What in the name of all that is holy were they thinking?" way. The film, which serves as a direct sequel to the original while ignoring previous instalments, is a lamentable stain on the venerable original film.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-talk-to-me-review-a-psychological-horror-film-that-will-chill-you-to-the-bone-622402">Talk to Me review: A psychological horror film that will chill you to the bone</a>

At the forefront of this cinematic travesty is the regrettable decision to resurrect Ellen Burstyn, a luminary from the original film, only to squander her talents in a pitiful, undignified role. It is akin to casting a virtuoso violinist to play a kazoo. Burstyn's presence, rather than bolstering the narrative, serves as a grim reminder of how far this once-proud franchise has fallen.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQPpOiTAZ14?si=wbl08otdg0RpPf-Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Believer introduces us to a new generation of possessed individuals, Angela and Katherine, doubling the trouble in a desperate attempt to compensate for a complete lack of originality. Green seems more interested in crafting an atmosphere of spiritual malaise than in delivering actual scares. The possession itself, the very essence of the original's terror, is treated as an afterthought, culminating in an exorcism scene so devoid of tension that you'd think they were performing a demonic dance-off.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-insidious-the-red-door-review-patrick-wilsons-horror-film-fails-to-deliver-genuine-scares-612619">Insidious The Red Door&nbsp;review: Patrick Wilson's horror film fails to deliver genuine scares</a>

The film's grandiose ambition to explore a multicultural approach to exorcism is a promise left unfulfilled. It's as if they tossed various religious elements into a cauldron and hoped for something meaningful to emerge. Instead, we are served a lukewarm spiritual stew that does more to confuse than enlighten. It's like trying to serve a buffet of culinary delights but forgetting to add any actual flavour.

Narrative coherence is a foreign concept in Believer, as it meanders through scenes and subplots that seem thoroughly disconnected from each other. Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles are handed characters so poorly developed that they might as well have been cardboard cutouts. While Leslie Odom Jr delivers a commendable performance, his efforts are in vain within the context of this cinematic debacle.&nbsp;

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/top-10-greatest-horror-movies-of-all-time-529631">&nbsp;Top 10 greatest horror movies of all time</a>

Believer not only ruins the memory of the original — it vomits pea soup all over it. This cinematic abomination is an affront to horror fans, a blasphemous betrayal of a genre-defining classic, and a vivid reminder that some legacies should be left undisturbed. If you're a fan of the original Exorcist, avoid this cinematic sacrilege at all costs. Your sanity and reverence for horror cinema will thank you.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-meg-2-review-jason-stathams-giant-shark-movie-is-glorious-b-movie-fun-622217">Meg 2&nbsp;review: Jason Statham's giant shark movie is glorious B-movie fun</a>

For aficionados of the original Exorcist seeking to rekindle its chilling splendour, this cinematic misadventure is best relegated to the annals of regrettable cinema. Believer is an attempt to resurrect the past that only serves to deteriorate it further.

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David Gordon Green's ill-fated attempt to rekindle the eerie brilliance of William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist, has culminated in a cinematic blunder of biblical proportions with The Exorcist: Believer.

David Gordon Green's ill-fated attempt to rekindle the eerie brilliance of William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist, has culminated in a cinematic blunder of biblical proportions with The Exorcist: Believer. The audacity of this cinematic atrocity is enough to make your head spin — not in a possessed-by-demons way, but in a "What in the name of all that is holy were they thinking?" way. The film, which serves as a direct sequel to the original while ignoring previous instalments, is a lamentable stain on the venerable original film. Also Read | Talk to Me review: A psychological horror film that will chill you to the bone At the forefront of this cinematic travesty is the regrettable decision to resurrect Ellen Burstyn, a luminary from the original film, only to squander her talents in a pitiful, undignified role. It is akin to casting a virtuoso violinist to play a kazoo. Burstyn's presence, rather than bolstering the narrative, serves as a grim reminder of how far this once-proud franchise has fallen. Believer introduces us to a new generation of possessed individuals, Angela and Katherine, doubling the trouble in a desperate attempt to compensate for a complete lack of originality. Green seems more interested in crafting an atmosphere of spiritual malaise than in delivering actual scares. The possession itself, the very essence of the original's terror, is treated as an afterthought, culminating in an exorcism scene so devoid of tension that you'd think they were performing a demonic dance-off. Also Read: Insidious The Red Door review: Patrick Wilson's horror film fails to deliver genuine scares The film's grandiose ambition to explore a multicultural approach to exorcism is a promise left unfulfilled. It's as if they tossed various religious elements into a cauldron and hoped for something meaningful to emerge. Instead, we are served a lukewarm spiritual stew that does more to confuse than enlighten. It's like trying to serve a buffet of culinary delights but forgetting to add any actual flavour. Narrative coherence is a foreign concept in Believer, as it meanders through scenes and subplots that seem thoroughly disconnected from each other. Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles are handed characters so poorly developed that they might as well have been cardboard cutouts. While Leslie Odom Jr delivers a commendable performance, his efforts are in vain within the context of this cinematic debacle. Also Read: Top 10 greatest horror movies of all time Believer not only ruins the memory of the original — it vomits pea soup all over it. This cinematic abomination is an affront to horror fans, a blasphemous betrayal of a genre-defining classic, and a vivid reminder that some legacies should be left undisturbed. If you're a fan of the original Exorcist, avoid this cinematic sacrilege at all costs. Your sanity and reverence for horror cinema will thank you. Also Read: Meg 2 review: Jason Statham's giant shark movie is glorious B-movie fun For aficionados of the original Exorcist seeking to rekindle its chilling splendour, this cinematic misadventure is best relegated to the annals of regrettable cinema. Believer is an attempt to resurrect the past that only serves to deteriorate it further. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

The Exorcist Believer review: A cinematic abomination that taints the original's legacy

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A new Exorcist takes possession of North America box office

The Exorcist Believer review: A cinematic abomination that taints the original's legacy