Why The Exorcist Deleted (Then Restored) Regan’s Infamous Spider Walk

The Exorcist scene where Regan spider walks down the stairs is infamous, and here’s why it was deleted from the theatrical cut, then later restored. Often cited as one of the greatest and scariest horror films ever made, The Exorcist still remains the benchmark for demonic possession movies nearly 50 years after its release. Based on a book by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist was a critical and commercial smash, and occupies a rarefied air within the genre that few reach.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder that The Exorcist is a movie frequently revisited by fans, and managed to spawn a franchise of five movies and a short-lived but acclaimed TV show. None of these follow-ups have equaled the quality of the original, but that’s the case for many franchises. The Exorcist is full of iconic moments, including Regan’s head twisting around 360 degrees, her floating above the bed, and Father Merrin’s dark arrival to the MacNeil house.

One Exorcist moment that took decades to get noticed was the spider walk scene, in which Regan walks backward down the stairs on her hands with a mouthful of blood. To be fair though, that’s because the scene was deleted from the film’s initial release, only being restored later. Here’s why that occurred.

Why The Exorcist Deleted (Then Restored) Regan’s Spider Walk

As one might imagine, The Exorcist‘s spider walk scene wasn’t performed by Linda Blair, but instead by stuntwoman Ann Miles. There were actually two versions filmed, one closer to the book, in which Regan flips over and crawls at Sharon, as well as displays a snake-like tongue. The other version, which more people are aware of, has Regan with the blood in her mouth at the end. Director William Friedkin, against the wishes of writer Blatty, opted to excise the spider walk from the theatrical cut due to three main factors. He felt the scene was too big a special effect so early in the story, that it undercut the impact of Chris MacNeil having just learned of Burke Dennings’ death, and that the wires used to make the stunt work were too noticeable and hurt the effect.

In 2000, Friedkin put together an extended director’s cut of The Exorcist originally subtitled “The Version You’ve Never Seen.” In this cut, Friedkin reinserted the bloody version of the spider walk, using CGI to erase the wires, and remastering the footage to fit with the rest of the film, much to Blatty’s delight. While many fans were aware of the spider walk, and it had been included as a deleted scene on a prior DVD release, seeing it cleaned up and put back into the film proper enabled many to see it in a new light, and it’s become a favorite sequence of many since. Interestingly though, some fans feel its inclusion creates a plot hole, as if Regan can leave her room and attack at any time, why doesn’t she do that? It’s a fair criticism, but one most seem willing to overlook.

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