A series of religious-themed murders in Georgetown, which resemble those of a long-dead serial killer, lead a detective to a mysterious mental ward which may hold the answers in this film written and directed by the creator of The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty.
Ten years after the success of the 1973 film adaptation of his popular novel, Blatty published Legion, a story which shares some minor characters and story elements with The Exorcist. Originally pitched to the studio as a non-sequel, the project fell apart, with Blatty turning it into a novel instead, and then adapting it into a screenplay again before the end of the decade.
Academy Award-winner George C. Scott stars in the role of Lt. Kinderman, played by Lee J. Cobb (deceased at this point) in the original Exorcist. The other returning character is that of Father Dyer, played in this film by Ed Flanders, who had appeared in Blatty's last (and only other) feature The Ninth Configuration. Cast also features Blatty alumni Scott Wilson and Jason Miller, as well as Nicol Williamson.
Set 15 years after the events in the original story, the film completely ignores all the events of the poorly-received second installment, Exorcist II: The Heretic, a film that was made without Blatty's input, nor that of The Exorcist's director William Friedkin. Most of the film was shot on location in Georgetown, which carries over the atmosphere from the original.
While the story of Legion, like its predecessor, deals with possession, it did not feature an actual exorcism. The studio insisted in putting the title under the Exorcist brand, and after a disastrous test screening, they informed Blatty an exorcism scene would need to be written and shot. Instead of walking off the production, Blatty attempted to make the most of this ultimatum, and the finished product represents his compromised vision, yet one he was able to complete on his own. Despite the studio's efforts, it only did moderate business, which Blatty blamed on the bad reputation of the second film.
Film runs approximately 110 minutes.
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