Ellen Burstyn has revealed that her scenes from the upcoming Blumhouse reboot of The Exorcist have already been shot. The new film is set to come to theaters on October 13, 2023, with a pair of sequels coming to the NBC Universal streaming service Peacock. The film is being helmed by David Gordon Green, who gave a similar reboot/sequel treatment to the Halloween films, bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis as consummate final girl Laurie Strode in a new set of sequels that is only in continuity with the original 1978 Halloween. In this case, however, the canon of the original franchise will remain intact, including the much-maligned Exorcist II: The Heretic.
The original Exorcist, which is based on the William Peter Blatty novel of the same name, came to theaters on December 26, 1973. Burstyn starred in the film as Chris McNeil, an actress who is shooting a film at Georgetown University but is pulled away from her work when her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) starts to exhibit signs of demonic possession. After going to every doctor possible, she turns to skeptical priest Father Karras (Jason Miller) and veteran exorcist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) for help. The film is still considered one of the scariest movies of all time and has spawned two sequels, two prequels, and a television series, including an entry directed by Blatty himself: 1990's The Exorcist III.
Recently, an interview with Burstyn from Daily Blast LIVE was unearthed. The interview, which took place three months ago, was largely about her Paramount+ film Three Months, in which she appeared opposite pop singer Troye Sivan, however, they did take a moment to acknowledge her participation in the new Exorcist project. When asked about the notorious strange occurrences on the set of the original Exorcist, she mentioned in passing that "I’ve already shot the new version." Check out her full quote below:
On the new set, because I’ve already shot the new version, nothing weird happened, no. There was a lot of weirdness on the first one, but there’s a lot of weirdness in every movie.
The extent to which Burstyn is participating in the film is still unknown. While it may be an appearance of just a scene or two, she will be instrumental in a brand new tale of demonic possession. In the new film, Chris McNeil is sought out by a brand new beleaguered parent played by Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr., whose child has recently become possessed.
This will mark the first time that Burstyn has appeared in The Exorcist franchise since the original film. Although characters and performers from the original film have recurred (including Linda Blair in Exorcist II and the character of Father Merrin in Exorcist: The Beginning), Chris McNeil has been unseen for nearly five decades. Burstyn, who holds 1 Oscar amid 5 other nominations, was likely lured into the project by an intriguing script, so fans of the franchise can certainly expect another high-caliber performance from the actress in another terrifying story.
Source: Daily Blast LIVE