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Looks like this pandemic has created an opportunity for several reboots. We have the Sex and the City limited series reboot that is now filming. There’s also a Wonder Years reboot coming out in September. Now, it has been announced that streaming service Peacock has a new Exorcist trilogy in the works. There have been five Exorcist movies so far and Linda Blair, who played possessed child Regan MacNeil, was only in the first two. Linda told The Post that the director and producer of the new series reached out to her but they did not extend an offer for her to appear in their project. Linda said that they spoke about how amazing Ellen Burstyn, who played her mother and will be returning, is instead. Below are a few more details via New York Post:
“I’m just getting texts from everybody,” she exclusively told The Post after it was announced that Ellen Burstyn would reprise her 1973 “Exorcist” role of Chris MacNeil — mother of devil-possessed teen Regan MacNeil, played by Blair — for an upcoming $400 million sequel trilogy to the classic horror film.
However, one key casting question was not addressed by the announcement: Will Linda Blair reprise her own character for the project?
On Monday evening, the 62-year-old actress shared a statement on Twitter, noting that “as of now there has not been any discussions about me participating or reprising my role,” adding that she “wished all those involved the best and I appreciate the loyalty and passion the fans have for The Exorcist and my character.”
Blair further told The Post that representatives for screenwriter and director David Gordon Green (of the acclaimed “Halloween” trilogy reboot), Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Productions — who are teaming up for the revisit — did reach out to tip her off about the movie series.
That conversation, though, did not include an actual job offer, or even a cameo pitch.
“They were polite enough to call. We spoke how amazing Ellen Burstyn is and that was as far as the conversation went,” she said. “I have no idea what the project is about and I have not been engaged in a conversation of participation. It was just letting me know they were going to do the film.”
Jamie Lee Curtis returned for the Halloween reboot and Linda Hamilton came back for the Terminator reboot. I am assuming folks want Linda Blair to return to the Exorcist since she was one of the main characters. However, I don’t feel that they’re obligated to offer Blair a role. It would be cool to see Regan MacNeil again, but I am not sure how that would work. I also think many people think Linda should be offered a role since Ellen Burstyn is coming back. I don’t know what the plot of the new trilogy will be but I think it’s nice that they at least gave Linda a heads up. Hopefully the new team will find a way to include Linda like they did Ellen.
But uh… what about Linda Blair? 👀 pic.twitter.com/RHU2kK0rB9
— Seth (@TheFlemishSeth) July 26, 2021
Linda Blair reveals if she will be in 'Exorcist' reboot: 'Everybody is up in arms' https://t.co/w4A8iB1dUs pic.twitter.com/oysKX0rUxN
— Page Six (@PageSix) July 28, 2021
Linda Blair is big part of why The Exorcist is my favorite horror movie. Whole cast was amazing.
Hell, yes, Linda should be in remake (sequel? prequel?)At least a cameo!👿— DMarker (@DMarker12) July 27, 2021
That’s pretty rude not to include her.
Especially since they reached out to her! “Hey, Linda, just want to let you know… We’re doing an Exorcist reboot… But you won’t be in it!”
This whole time i thought the little girl that played that part grew up to be Barbara Hershey and I also for some reason thought Barbara was Naveen Andrews girlfriend .Lol
Barbara Hershey was Naveen Andrews’ girlfriend for many years. But I believe they split quite some time ago.
But i googled after i got confused it said the girlfriend was a school teacher ?
Heads will spin if Linda isn’t given a role!
Right?
They aren’t offered to obligated to offer her a role but what a slap in the face! And they even started talking about how amazing Ellen Burstyn is. Give us a break. Jerks. Is there some compelling reason why they can NOT offer her any kind of role, however small?
LOL
hahahaha
what many people don’t realize is that Linda wasn’t always who you saw on screen. she was very young (12!) and couldn’t be expected to go through the most intense parts. so they showed her in the beginning, and any time she was acting normally.
the actress who played the demon is named Eileen Dietz. it’s quite a story!
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/film/2020/02/we-argued-over-crucifix-scene-what-it-was-being-demon-exorcist?fbclid=IwAR2Y09pYJcphJfqdpGhWk3KgERlvtkJmjQk8Qx8xnJ4PXhjtyIwsTTYd07k
Thanks for that link, but it’s behind a required email wall. So tired of providing my email address (signing up in this case) to almost every website I visit these days. I’m sure it’s a great article, though. Maybe somebody will briefly recap.
@Soupie if you ever want to read a site that’s behind a subscription or pay wall, copy the link, go to https://www.printfriendly.com/, and paste the link you want to read. Works like a charm!
Thank you!
While I am totally on board for Ellen Burstyn coming back, I’ll pass on Linda Blair. I met her once at a very small sci-fi convention and she was extremely rude. Now she does do great work with animal rescues (the reason we went over to her table was to give money to her charity), I can’t get over how nasty she was.
More details what exactly happened.
To be honest, I bet this is some bull crap of Linda “not playing the game properly.” Ellen is probably really nice and easy to work with. And you know how these Hollywood guys are. You have to stroke their massive egos, or they’ll toss you aside. Linda was a child when she was in that movie, and we know Hollywood messes up kids like crazy. But Linda isn’t a child anymore, and we want to see her in this remake. They’d better do something about it.
I remember reading about all the hard to work actresses and long and behold a few years later many were actually victims of Harvey Weinstein. Hollywood is not progressive and has a long way to go.
Not that this is super relevant to the topic, but the BEST Exorcist sequel, and one of the best sequels in general to such an iconic original is Exorcist III. It is written and directed by the author of The Exorcist, based on his book Legion, which is based on a screenplay he (William Blatty) conceived with the original director of The Exorcist (I know…whew). It has direct links to the characters and stories from the first movie, and seamlessly brings the two worlds together though almost a couple decades separate the making of the films. And the incredible Jason Miller is back!
So, if you loved The Exorcist, avoided The Exorcist II, then come back for Exorcist III. It is frightening as heck, excellent acting (Brad Dourif is amazing!) and gives you such closure.
And I LOVE ELLEN BURSTYN! To be honest, if she is in this, that is all I need. No offense to Linda Blair, but Ellen will bring gravitas to a production that Linda could not.
@ TeeBee, I haven’t seen any of the sequels but I agree that Ellen Burstyn is an actors legend, on and off the screen. I loved her in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and countless other films.
As for Linda Blair, I think that they wanted to give her a heads up due to the announcement of this sequel, though they were under no obligation to offer her to reprise her roll. I also don’t think that it was a matter of not being accepted as not playing the Hollywood game either.
So Linda grow up, because they had a reason(s) for not offering you a cameo or any other participation. Sequels are made and the original cast doesn’t automatically appear or reprise their roles again.
TeeBee, have you ever seen Repossessed? Its a spoof sequel to the Exorcist starring Linda Blair and Leslie Nelson. Ned Beatty was in it as well, as a televangelist.
YOu Know… I think I did. And I think I might have been entertained. I love(d) Leslie Nielsen, and I am a sucker for spoofs, especially Leslie’s.
Again, I will recommend to anyone to watch Exorcist III. It lacks good cinematography, it is stark as a TV drama, but damn it was scary. And the premise… wow.
Ellen Burstyn was on a repeat of “Mom” last night. She was radiant!
Remember, the bar is set very high for what a male star can get away with on set and very low for a woman. They should definitely get Linda Blair a role in the new movie. Hers is the only name most people can definitively identify with the film.
I’ll give it a chance. Would it have been super nice to involve her? Yeah, but if their script is solid then so be it.