The Exorcist: Believers | director explains the absence of Linda Blair as Regan

The Exorcist – 87% is one of those films that at first glance seems untouchable despite its sequels, and the original formed an entire generation of viewers and creators who admire it but would not dare to develop any other product with it. Of course, this status is mere appearance, as David Gordon Green decided to repeat his Halloween formula – 92% with this film to put together a direct sequel called The Exorcist: Believers that will launch a new saga. Fans are not happy at all, especially because Linda Blair is not involved and now the director explains what happened to the actress and what her absence means for her plans.

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The Exorcist It is based on a novel that supposedly addresses a true story about a child possessed by a demon. To have a greater impact as a film, some changes were made to the narrative, such as the victim in question being a girl and her family environment being totally different. Along the same lines, the plot served to raise a problem of faith for the priests, who are the true protagonists of the story. These alterations proved to be the best option, as the film generated such an impact that it changed the horror genre forever and laid the foundation for possession stories on the big screen.

Linda Blair was marked by ‘The Exorcist’

The work of Ellen Burstyn and Jason Miller was praised by critics, but the real surprise for specialists and audiences alike was the presence of Linda Blair, because despite his age he achieved something unprecedented. At the time, many judged her participation in the film because of the themes it deals with and how explicit some scenes are that did not seem appropriate for the young age of the actress. Beyond that, the fame that Blair found thanks to this title marked her in various ways, not all of them positive.

Linda Blair She appreciated the success of the film and what it did for her career, but over time she also recognized that there were certain negative notes about it, from how heavy filming was under the direction of William Friedkin, to being pigeonholed in Hollywood. Although the performer eventually returned for the sequel and over the years learned to make fun of her character, she has actually spent more time trying to distance herself from the franchise, which was possible thanks to the production company that found new ways to continue with the saga. cinematographic and even with a series called The Exorcist – 78% that went unnoticed by many.

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After the success of Halloweena late and direct sequel that served to throw an entire franchise out the window to form a new one, Blumhouse blindly trusted David Gordon Green when he proposed doing something similar with The Exorcist. Of course, the trend dictated the clear return of Linda Blair as happened with Jamie Lee Curtis, but her participation was never confirmed. A few years ago, the actress assured that she had not received a call to return as Regan, and although months ago several insiders said that she would be part of the cast, nothing was really confirmed.

Will Linda Blair participate in ‘The Exorcist: Believers’?

In interview with Total Film Magazine (via ComingSoon), the director confirmed Blair’s absence and explained how the actress approached the production, but from a different angle:

She came to the set because she was a consultant on the film. I was fortunate enough to have her read the script, but she wasn’t interested in a major role or playing it again. We hired her as a counselor because we deal with young people and we want to take them to dangerous places safely.

Blair has not said anything about it, but it is possible that the role was not what she expected or she simply preferred to remain a spectator on this occasion. What is interesting is that the actress got involved to help Olivia Marcum and Lidya Jewett, the girls protagonists of The Exorcist: Believersand Blair herself did not have such support for all the things she had to do and face on the set of the original film.

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