How The Exorcism of Emily Rose, marking its 20th anniversary this month, rejuvenated the possession genre.

      In his latest book, Screaming and Conjuring: The Resurrection and Unstoppable Rise of the Modern Horror Movie, film journalist Clark Collis examines how horror evolved into a dominant genre in Hollywood, especially initiated by the 1996 film Scream. By interviewing figures such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, Eli Roth, and Sam Raimi, he discusses significant films and franchises like Saw, Final Destination, Underworld, Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and The Conjuring. In this exclusive excerpt, he reflects on how Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on September 9, reinvigorated the genre of demonic possession.—M.M.

      William Friedkin’s 1973 Oscar-winning hit, The Exorcist, significantly impacted many young horror filmmakers who emerged in the late 1990s and 2000s. One such director, M. Night Shyamalan, vividly remembers watching Max von Sydow's Father Merrin trying to save Linda Blair's Regan during a formative moment in his childhood.

      "I first saw The Exorcist as a kid at my uncle and aunt’s house, which had HBO," recalls the Sixth Sense director. "For a month, I slept with my parents. I just wouldn’t leave their room. Honestly, that experience still traumatizes me a bit."

      Friedkin’s original film struggled to inspire successful sequels. John Boorman’s 1977 attempt, Exorcist II: The Heretic, became notorious for its failure; Friedkin labeled it “the worst piece of s— I’ve ever seen” during a 2019 interview on The Movies That Made Me podcast.

      In the late ’80s, William Peter Blatty, the author of the original Exorcist novel, partnered with the newly formed Morgan Creek Entertainment to direct The Exorcist III. Released in August 1990, Blatty's film had a modest box office performance.

      In 1997, Morgan Creek began working on a prequel to Friedkin’s film featuring a younger Father Merrin. They brought in Paul Schrader, known for Taxi Driver and the 1982 horror film Cat People, to direct. Schrader cast Stellan Skarsgård as Merrin and started filming the $38 million budget movie in November 2002.

      When Morgan Creek president James G. Robinson expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, they hired Renny Harlin, known for Deep Blue Sea, to take over the project. Harlin kept Skarsgård in the lead but filmed an almost entirely new version, doubling the project’s budget to over $75 million.

      Harlin’s Exorcist: The Beginning debuted in the U.S. in August 2004, earning $48 million domestically—a modest return compared to its cost. Schrader’s original version, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was completed and released the following year, receiving better reviews but minimal financial success.

      The exorcism subgenre saw a resurgence with 2005's The Exorcism of Emily Rose, distributed by Screen Gems. The film was directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson, who grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. He started making Super 8 films with his car dealer father's camera and set up haunted houses in his basement during Halloween.

      "I would charge neighborhood kids to go through my basement of scary things," he recalls.

      At 17, Derrickson relocated to California, attending Biola, a Christian college, and later USC film school, where he was first introduced to Italian director Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic Suspiria. "I grew up on slasher films, but Suspiria showed me horror could be operatic and high art. From that point on, I consumed everything."

      Derrickson, along with fellow USC graduate Paul Harris Boardman, pitched a screenplay for 2000's Urban Legends: Final Cut. They also contributed to the script for Dimension’s Dracula 2000, directed by Patrick Lussier.

      In a 2017 social media post, Derrickson reminisced about Bob Weinstein telling him the script needed a rewrite and was 'terrible,' yet the film was still being made. When Derrickson queried why Weinstein chose to proceed, he responded, “Because it’s called Dracula 2000.”

      In August 1999, Variety revealed Dimension had signed Derrickson and Boardman to a three-picture deal, with their first project being the straight-to-video Hellraiser: Inferno, the fifth movie in the Clive Barker franchise. The film starred Craig Sheffer as a corrupt cop whose murder investigation leads him to encounter Doug Bradley’s Pinhead.

      "Honestly, my reach exceeded my grasp," Derrickson reflects on the $2 million budget. "That budget didn’t match the script at all, and I had a lot to