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Warner Home Video have revealed this cover art for the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray release of The Exorcist. This follows their press release yesterday which confirmed the Blu-ray will be released October 8th.
The Hitchcock steps were made famous by The Exorcist (now often referred to as “The Exorcist steps”). It’s nice to see them prominent on the cover of an important release, as they’re often used as secondary images on booklet inlays or posters. I like how this cover uses minimal design and keeps an ominous tone that is fitting of the film.
I’m sure some fans will compare the blue-tint of the cover to the blue-hued exorcism scenes we’ve been getting in versions of the film since the 25th Anniversary release, which only got worse in The Version You’ve Never Seen (now cleverly retitled Extended Director’s Cut). I guess that’s a fair assumption. Still no word from director William Friedkin or WB about a new print being used for this release.
The potential cover art for this release was a hot topic on the discussion forums recently, where it was hoped there would be a new design that didn’t rely on the famous “Merrin arrives” shot. I’m assuming Warner Home Video had to go with a new design for this 40th Anniversary release so it wouldn’t be confused with the 2010 release which used the “Merrin arrives” shot nicely.
Overall, a very impressive cover art and a breath of fresh air after the disappointing press release yesterday.
The cover art was revealed as an exclusive via horror website ShockTillYouDrop.
Edit: The 40th anniversary blu-ray is, of course, now available for purchase.
If you like, you can pick up a copy from Amazon.com.
