The Exorcist: Believer did not receive the same critical and financial success as its prequel. However, one wish from fans of the franchise came true when Linda Blair reprised her Oscar-nominated role as Regan MacNeil. Blair initially had no intentions of appearing in the project, but she was persuaded to act as an ‘advisor’ on the film, ultimately leading to her cameo.
Blair revealed that she accepted the advisory role only to make sure that the young actresses in the film were comfortable with filming the intense scenes. This concern stemmed from her experience in the original 1973 film, The Exorcist, where she endured physical and mental challenges while filming.
Linda Blair Wanted To Protect The Girls In The Exorcist Sequel
A new trilogy in The Exorcist franchise was announced, with David Gordon Green as the director of the first two films. It was also announced that Ellen Burstyn would reprise her role from the original film. Burstyn’s appearance led to a backlash from fans as they also wanted Linda Blair to return to her role. However, Blair released a statement clarifying that Green and the team had informed her about the film and that she was okay with not having a role in the film.
However, Blair revealed in an interview with TooFab that she had expressed her major concern about the film to the filmmakers. She had earlier exposed the mistreatment she faced during the filming of The Exorcist. She conveyed to the makers that she didn’t want the child actresses in the sequel film, Lidya Jewett and Olivia O’Neill, to experience the same.
Blair explained that the filmmakers then sought her as an advisor to prevent such mistakes. She agreed as she wanted to ensure the well-being of the girls. Blair also added that apart from some changes in the background story about her and Burstyn’s characters, she did not have much to do with the girls’ characters. Linda Blair told TooFab:
“I said [to the filmmakers], ‘I’ve gone on record saying, don’t ever do it to a child again and you have made me very concerned.’ So they said, ‘We would like you to be an advisor. Can you help us to make the journey okay, we don’t wanna do anything wrong?’ And that’s how I got involved with the project, help rewrite some of the background, Regan’s character, and Ellen Burstyn. I didn’t touch anything to do with what they did with the girls or that storyline.”
Green later convinced her to make a small cameo at the end of the film, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise for many fans. The Exorcist: Believer grossed $135 million at the box office and a sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, is set to release on April 18, 2025.
Linda Blair Had A Scandalous Exit From Hollywood And The Exorcist May Have Triggered It
Linda Blair had earlier revealed that certain scenes in The Exorcist were physically and mentally challenging to shoot. Blair was hurt during a scene where her character bounced on a bed, leaving a permanent spine injury. Once the film was released, she received threats from people for allegedly glorifying Satan. However, she was most humiliated during the Oscars that year, where she was nominated for Best Actress.
After her nomination, actress Mercedes McCambridge disclosed that she had voiced for Regan in some of the crucial scenes. Later, it was also revealed that she had a body double for some pretty difficult scenes. These two revelations diminished her chances of winning the award. The roles that followed portrayed her as the “damaged” girl. A sequel to The Exorcist that came four years later was a total disaster.
Between 1980 and 1985, Blair experienced a challenging period, earning five Razzie nominations and winning two. These events led the actress to take up more roles in B-movies. Despite her comeback in the documentary reality series, Scariest Places on Earth, Blair largely disappeared from the Hollywood sphere.
The Exorcist is now available for streaming on Max, while The Exorcist: Believer is now available on Peacock.
