Original Exorcist Star Ellen Burstyn Returns For New Exorcist 2

Ellen Burstyn will reportedly return as Chris MacNeil in Blumhouse’s new Exorcist 2. The original Exorcist changed Hollywood history forever when it was released in 1973. The film not only pushed the envelope when it came to horrific imagery in mainstream cinema, it also established the horror film as a bona fide blockbuster genre, ultimately grossing $441 million over its run.

Given the huge numbers put up by The Exorcist it was no surprise when Warner Bros. tried to cash in with a 1977 sequel but that film just proved to be a flop and in fact is now regarded as one of the worst big studio films of all-time. It would take until 1990 for another sequel to hit theaters, but the eventual Exorcist III was a butchered version of what director William Peter Blatty tried to create, and the film was only a modest box office success. A prequel was the next way to go for the would-be Exorcist franchise but again the production process would prove troubled. Ultimately, two versions of the prequel would be released: 2004’s Exorcist: The Beginning and 2005’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. In 2016, The Exorcist became a TV show following the adventures of a pair of priests investigating demonic possession.

Now Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green will try to bring The Exorcist back to life as a movie franchise with a direct sequel to the original film that ignores all the other movies and the TV show. In a major coup for the new movie, The New York Times reports that Chris MacNeil actress Burstyn will come back for the new Exorcist 2. The movie’s plot concerns a character played by Leslie Odom Jr. who seeks out MacNeil after his own child becomes possessed by a demon.

MacNeil as a character has appeared in only one other Exorcist-related project, the TV series, where she was played by Sharon Gless. Having her return for The Exorcist 2 only boosts the film’s profile as a legitimate sequel to The Exorcist, and having Burstyn reprise the role further lends legitimacy to the whole enterprise. Director Green of course had a lot of success bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis to play Laurie Strode in his reboot of Halloween, and he hopes to pull off a similar trick on The Exorcist with Burstyn in the mix. A six-time Oscar nominee (Exorcist was one of the films for which she was nominated) and one-time winner, Burstyn will soon be seen in the Showtime anthology series The First Lady.

Obviously rebooting The Exorcist is a daunting task given the original film’s place in history, and in light of all the failed attempts at sequels and prequels that have been made over the years. Having Burstyn on board for Exorcist 2 is a big deal, but it still all comes down to Green’s take on the material, and whether the legacy approach will work with this particular franchise. The good news is, it won’t be hard for Green’s Exorcist 2 to outdo the disastrous first attempt at an Exorcist sequel made in 1977. And the good news for Burstyn is that this time she won’t have to work with William Friedkin, who reportedly subjected her to sadistic treatment on the original film.

Source: New York Times

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