Here’s an idea we fear will lead to more pea-soup vomiting fury than the happy clapping of hands: though The Exorcist has shown remarkable resistance to remakes*, now someone has had the bright idea to turn William Peter Blatty’s best-selling book into a TV series.

The person spearheading the notion might give a little more reason for calm, though. It's Martha Marcy May Marlene writer-director Sean Durkin, who at least delivered a compelling, well-constructed film with his first effort. And the telly format means the story can be explored in even more depth. The fact that Roy Lee, the producer of the American version of The Ring, is also behind it could give more pause, but it’s at least someone versed in horror, and as remakes go, that wasn't a bad one.

According to Vulture, Durkin’s version will follow the events leading up to the possession of young Regan and particularly the aftermath of a family left picking up the pieces. No network is yet involved, but there have been several interested parties sniffing around the project.

But can any version truly compare with William Friedkin’s solid gold classic? It appears we’re about to find out…

*Unless you count the multiple films that have tried to tackle the possession concept and ripped off the basic idea, anyway.