The Exorcist Franchise Timeline
One original. Competing prequels. A legacy that refuses to stay buried.
The Exorcist expands from Regan MacNeil’s possession into two sequels, two mutually exclusive versions of Father Merrin’s origin, and a modern legacy continuation.
Release order works until the prequel split. At that point, choose either Exorcist: The Beginning or Dominion before moving to Believer.
The quick answer
First time watching? Release order is the safest default. Chronology is shown only when it materially changes the route.
The complete timeline
The Exorcist
A mother seeks religious help when her daughter’s condition defies medicine.
Read entry
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Regan’s recovery draws new attention to the demon and Father Merrin’s past.
Read entry
The Exorcist III
A detective links ritual murders to the surviving evil of the first film.
Read entry
Exorcist: The Beginning
A crisis of faith leads Father Merrin to an early encounter with demonic evil.
Read entry
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Paul Schrader’s version retells Merrin’s early confrontation as psychological horror.
Read entry
The Exorcist: Believer
Two missing girls return changed, drawing Chris MacNeil back into possession.
Read entryTwo prequels occupy the same place
Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion are alternate versions of Father Merrin’s early encounter, built from the same production but contradictory in story and tone. They are not consecutive chapters, so a first-time route should choose one rather than treating both as canon.
The Exorcist Frequently Asked Questions
How many movies are in The Exorcist franchise?
There are six films covered in this guide: The Exorcist (1973), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Exorcist III (1990), Exorcist: The Beginning (2004), Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005), and The Exorcist: Believer (2023). A seventh film, The Exorcist: Martyrs, is set for March 2027.
What order should I watch The Exorcist movies in?
Release order works for most of the franchise, but the two prequels need special handling. Watch The Exorcist, then Exorcist II: The Heretic and The Exorcist III, then pick one, not both, of Exorcist: The Beginning or Dominion, then finish with Believer.
Why are there two different Exorcist prequels telling the same story?
Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist both tell Father Merrin's origin story, but they're two separate, mutually exclusive versions of the same events, not companion films. The studio rejected director Paul Schrader's original cut as too slow, reshot it almost entirely with Renny Harlin as The Beginning, then released Schrader's original version a year later once the reshoot underperformed. The two films contradict each other at nearly every major plot point, so only one can count toward your personal timeline.
Which Exorcist prequel should I watch, The Beginning or Dominion?
It comes down to preference. Dominion is the slower, more psychological version that most critics and horror fans consider the stronger film. Exorcist: The Beginning is the more conventional, effects-driven studio cut. Neither is more “canon” than the other, later films do not reference either one directly.
Is The Exorcist: Believer connected to the original 1973 film?
Loosely. Believer is set fifty years after the original and brings back Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, Regan's mother from the 1973 film, but it centers on a new possession involving two different girls rather than continuing Regan's story directly.
Is there a sequel to The Exorcist: Believer?
No, and there will not be. A planned trilogy beginning with Believer was scrapped after its sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, lost its director and was pulled from the release schedule. The franchise's next film is a separate, unconnected project instead.
Is a new Exorcist movie coming?
Yes. The Exorcist: Martyrs, written and directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Scarlett Johansson, is set for release on March 12, 2027. It's described as an entirely new story within the Exorcist universe, not a sequel to Believer or any other film, and is not connected to the existing timeline covered in this guide.