Fox's 'Exorcist': Here's Why You Won't Hear Much of 'Tubular Bells' Theme Music

Fox

That creepy theme music from “The Exorcist” is memorable, but it might also be a seldom-heard presence in Fox’s new reboot of the horror classic starring Geena Davis.

Filmgoers will recognize the minimalist piano music from “Tubular Bells,” the 1973 album from English musician Mike Oldfield. Director William Friedkin used a brief excerpt that became forever linked to the cult horror movie about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl.

But it turns out that Fox doesn’t have an unlimited budget for musical homage.

Also Read: What's at Stake for Networks Gearing Up for the New Fall TV Season?

“I don’t think you’ll be hearing it too many times in the future, because it costs a fair chunk of change every time it shows up,” executive producer Jeremy Slater told reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills.

Slater added, however, that the theme will still be sprinkled here and there during the series, because fans expect such touches.

Meanwhile, executive producer Rupert Wyatt told reporters that exorcists still serve in the Catholic church, but are rarely talked about because they prefer to operate out of sight.

Also Read: Geena Davis Joins Fox's 'Exorcist' TV Pilot

“It really comes down to protecting exorcists,” Wyatt said. “They don’t like to show their faces or blow their cover.”

Meanwhile, Davis said she isn’t spooked by demonic possession. “I don’t get impacted in those kinds of ways,” she said, but nevertheless believes in the concept of evil.

“I believe there is evil in the world,” the Oscar-winning actress said. “We’ve certainly seen instances of it historically and currently … Everybody’s capable of an extreme range of behaviors.”

138 Fall TV Shows: Every New and Returning Series (Photos)

Find out when the most hotly anticipated new shows and your old favorites return. We'll keep updating this gallery as more Fall 2016 premiere dates are announced.
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 9:00 p.m.
“Finding Prince Charming” (Logo)
Logo
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 10:00 p.m.
“Better Things” (FX)
FX
Friday, Sept. 9
“One Mississippi” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 9 at 10:00 p.m.
“Quarry” (Cinemax)
Cinemax
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
“The Circus” (Showtime)
Showtime
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
“Indian Summers” (PBS)
PBS
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
“Masters of Sex” (Showtime)
Showtime
Monday, Sept. 12 at 8:00 p.m.
"Dancing With the Stars" (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
"Blindspot" (NBC)
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“American Horror Story” (FX)
FX
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“Documentary Now!” (IFC)
IFC
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“South Park” (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 p.m.
“Legends of Chamberlain Heights” (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central
Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9:00 p.m.
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
Lifetime
Friday, Sept. 16
“Fleabag” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m.
“Z Nation” (Syfy)
Syfy
Friday, Sept. 16 at 11:00 p.m.
“High Maintenance” (HBO)
HBO
Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8:30 p.m.
“The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey” (CBS)
CBS
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
CBS
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Voice" (NBC)
NBC
Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Gotham" (Fox)
Fox
Monday, Sept. 19 8:30 p.m.
"Kevin Can Wait" (CBS)
CBS
Monday, Sept. 19 9:00 p.m.
"Lucifer" (Fox)
Fox
Monday, Sept. 19 10:00 p.m.
"The Good Place" (NBC)
NBC
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:00 p.m.
"NCIS" (CBS)
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:00 p.m.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8:30 p.m.
"New Girl" (Fox)
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9:00 p.m.
"Bull" (CBS)
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9:00 p.m.
"Scream Queens" (Fox)
Fox
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"NCIS: New Orleans" (CBS)
CBS
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"This Is Us" (NBC)
NBC
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 p.m.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"Survivor" (CBS)
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"Lethal Weapon" (Fox)
Fox
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Goldbergs" (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
"Speechless" (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Law & Order: SVU" (NBC)
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Empire" (Fox)
Fox
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Modern Family" (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
"black-ish" (ABC)
ABC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10:00 p.m.
"Chicago P.D." (NBC)
NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10:00 p.m.
"Designated Survivor" (ABC)
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22
“Easy” (Netflix)
Netflix
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Superstore" (NBC)
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Rosewood" (Fox)
Fox
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m.
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Chicago Med" (NBC)
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Pitch" (Fox)
Fox
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
"Notorious" (ABC)
ABC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10:00 p.m.
"The Blacklist" (NBC)
NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10:00 p.m.
"How to Get Away With Murder" (ABC)
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23
“Longmire” (Netflix)
Netflix
Friday, Sept. 23
“Transparent” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
“Van Helsing” (Syfy)
Syfy
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"MacGyver" (CBS)
CBS
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Caught on Camera With Nick Cannon" (NBC)
NBC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Hell's Kitchen" (Fox)
Fox
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Last Man Standing" (ABC)
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 8:30 p.m.
"Dr. Ken" (ABC)
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"Hawaii Five-0" (CBS)
CBS
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"The Exorcist" (Fox)
Fox
Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
ABC
Friday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
"Blue Bloods" (CBS)
CBS
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
"Bob's Burgers" (Fox)
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
“Poldark” (PBS)
PBS
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Simpsons" (Fox)
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m.
"Once Upon a Time" (ABC)
ABC
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m.
"Son of Zorn" (Fox)
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9:00 p.m.
"Family Guy" (Fox)
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9:00 p.m.
"Secrets and Lies" (ABC)
ABC
Sunday, Sept 25 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Last Man on Earth" (Fox)
Fox
Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:00 p.m.
"Quantico" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 9:00 p.m.
“Channel Zero” (Syfy)
Syfy
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
“Aftermath” (Syfy)
Syfy
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 9:00 p.m.
"Criminal Minds" (CBS)
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT
“Big Brother: Over the Top” (CBS All Access)
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m.
"Code Black" (CBS)
CBS
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:00 p.m.
“Younger” (TV Land)
TV Land
Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10:30 p.m.
“Impastor” (TV Land)
TV Land
Friday, Sept. 30
“Crisis in Six Scenes” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Sept. 30
“Marvel’s Luke Cage” (Netflix)
Netflix
Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10:00 p.m.
“Versailles” (Ovation)
Ovation
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:00 p.m.
“Ash vs. Evil Dead” (Starz)
Starz
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:35 p.m.
“Blunt Talk” (Starz)
Starz
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
“Shameless” (Showtime)
Showtime
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
“Westworld” (HBO)
HBO
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:00 p.m.
"NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS)
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 p.m.
"Madam Secretary" (CBS)
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10:00 p.m.
"Elementary" (CBS)
CBS
Monday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 p.m.
"Scorpion" (CBS)
CBS
Monday, Oct. 3 at 10:00 p.m.
"Timeless" (NBC)
NBC
Monday, Oct. 3 at 10:00 p.m.
"Conviction" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 4
“The Mindy Project” (Hulu)
Hulu
Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Flash" (CW)
CW
Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9:00 p.m.
"No Tomorrow" (CW)
CW
Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 8:00 p.m.
"Arrow" (CW)
CW
Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:00 p.m.
"Frequency" (CW)
CW
Thursday, Oct. 7
“The Ranch” (Netflix)
Netflix
Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10:00 p.m.
“Divorce” (HBO)
HBO
Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10:30 p.m.
“Insecure” (HBO)
HBO
Monday, Oct. 10 at 8:00 p.m.
"Supergirl" (CW)
CW
Monday, Oct. 10 at 9:00 p.m.
"2 Broke Girls" (CBS)
CBS
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
“Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?” (Freeform)
Freeform
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Middle" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m.
"American Housewife" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m.
“The Letter” (Freeform)
Freeform
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m.
"Fresh off the Boat" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Real O'Neals" (ABC)
ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 10:00 p.m.
"Chicago Fire" (NBC)
NBC
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8:00 p.m.
"DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (CW)
CW
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 9:00 p.m.
"Supernatural" (CW)
CW
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10:00 p.m.
“Falling Water” (USA)
USA
Friday, Oct. 14
“Goliath” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Oct. 14
“Haters Back Off” (Netflix)
Netflix
Friday, Oct. 14 at 10:00 p.m.
“Wolf Creek” (Pop)
Pop
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 p.m.
“The Durrells in Corfu” (PBS)
PBS
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 9:00 p.m.
“Berlin Station” (Epix)
Epix
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10:00 p.m.
“Graves” (Epix)
Epix
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10:00 p.m.
“Eyewitness” (USA)
USA
Monday, Oct. 17 at 9:00 p.m.
"Jane the Virgin" (CW)
CW
Monday, Oct. 17 at 9:30 p.m.
"The Odd Couple" (CBS)
CBS
Wednesday, Oct. 19
“Chance” (Hulu)
Hulu
Friday, Oct. 21
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
Netflix
Friday, Oct. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"The Vampire Diaries" (CW)
CW
Friday, Oct. 21 at 9:00 p.m.
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (CW)
CW
Saturday, Oct. 22 at 9:00 p.m.
“Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (BBC America)
BBC America
Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9:00 p.m.
“The Walking Dead” (AMC)
AMC
Sunday, Oct. 23 at 10:00 p.m.
“Talking Dead” (AMC)
AMC
Monday, Oct. 24 at 8:30 p.m.
"Man With a Plan" (CBS)
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m.
"The Great Indoors" (CBS)
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 9:00 p.m.
"Mom" (CBS)
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 9:30 p.m.
"Life in Pieces" (CBS)
CBS
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 10:00 p.m.
"Pure Genius" (CBS)
CBS
Friday, Oct. 28
“Good Girls Revolt” (Amazon)
Amazon
Friday, Oct. 28 at 11:00 p.m.
“Comedy Bang! Bang!” (IFC)
IFC
Friday, Oct. 28 at 11:00 p.m.
“Tracey Ullman’s Show” (HBO)
BBC
Monday, Oct. 31 at 9:00 p.m.
“People of Earth” (TBS)
TBS

1 of 139

From returning favorites like “Empire” to highly anticipated debuts such as “This Is Us,” TheWrap’s guide to Fall 2016 premiere dates

Find out when the most hotly anticipated new shows and your old favorites return. We'll keep updating this gallery as more Fall 2016 premiere dates are announced.

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