Inside The Exorcist
In 1973 Hell came home and invaded the body of a young girl. This is the story of a movie and its makers. It's a tale of dark and light, of loss and love. A story of faith and fury, of causes and curses, of horrors real and imagined, of unbridled ego and brute force filmmaking. It's the movie critics called "religious pornography" and "occultist claptrap." The movie that left audiences...hysterical. Decades later, it remains perhaps the most frightening movie we will ever see. From Wondery, this is a seven-part deep dive inspired by the story behind an unforgettable, classic movie. This is...Inside The Exorcist.
You can binge all episodes of Inside The Exorcist exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.
Our Editor's Take
As you might imagine, a lot of effort goes into the making of a classic thriller like The Exorcist. From the idea behind the story to casting and scene-setting, no details can slip through the cracks. But this horror shocker was plagued with all kinds of eerie happenings way before filming began.
Wondery's seven-part series, Inside The Exorcist, lifts the lid on how the film came to exist. When a writer and director teamed up with a cast of dedicated suspense actors, who knew the collaboration would give rise to one of the scariest films of all time?
Early episodes set the scene: how the story came to be, how the decision was made to make the film, and what was at the root of its controversial tone. When filming starts, real-life mirrors make-believe with frightening events taking over on set. How were the visceral scenes put together, and who was going to pay to watch a movie like this? Thousands—as it turned out—but not without stark reactions.
Several questions are tackled in this compelling series. What was behind the smoky voice of the exorcist? How did the designers create the ectoplasm that erupted from the possessed girl? How did Linda Blair bag the role? Follow Inside The Exorcist from planning and filming to the post-production critiques that shocked the toughest members of the cast.
Episodes