





Producer Eli Roth poses at the premiere of &quot;The Last Exorcism&quot; at the Arclight theatre in Hollywood, California in this file photo taken August
Producer Eli Roth poses at the premiere of "The Last Exorcism" at the Arclight theatre in Hollywood, California in this file photo taken August 24, 2010. (© Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)

A: If we had thought about a sequel, we wouldn't have called the first movie the 'last' one. It made $20 million on opening weekend, which was a surprise. The financiers said, "whenever you want to do another one, the financing is there for it."



Q: "The Last Exorcism Part II" is set in New Orleans. Does the setting influence the film?

A: It's very much part of the story. It's Mardi Gras and Nell is going out and experiencing the world. But there is this thing still following her, this presence out there. So when you're seeing a creepy face, you don't know if it's a Mardi Gras character or if it's actually something quite sinister.

Q: 1973's "The Exorcist" is the seminal film on exorcism and possession. Any film since then on the same topic inevitably draws comparisons. Did that weigh on your mind while making the film?

A: "The Exorcist" came out almost 40 years ago. That was before (U.S. President) Jimmy Carter was in office! I love "The Exorcist." I think it's a masterpiece. But we're making a movie for today's 15-year-old kids. They want their own "Exorcist," not the ones their parents were into.

Q: There have been many recent films on this same topic, from 2005's "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" to last year's "The Devil Inside." What is it that make audiences turn out for them?

A: Possession and exorcism is something that's in every religion and every culture. It's a real primal fear: Is the body a vessel for our spirits? What happens if something else takes over it? Where does the spirit go?




Q: Are there themes of faith in the sequel?


Q: Have you ever met anyone that was possessed?

A: Yeah, I dated her for three months! For a long time I had a crazy girl dating habit. Thankfully, I've recently broken it.