The Exorcist: Believer Director Reveals Linda Blair Wasn’t Interested in Reprising Regan

In a recent interview, The Exorcist: Believer director David Gordon Green confirmed that original star Linda Blair decided not to have a “significant role” in Blumhouse’s upcoming horror sequel. Despite not being interested in reprising her iconic role as Regan MacNeil, Green revealed that Blair was still involved as a consultant during the production of the movie.

“She came to set because she was an advisor on the movie,” Green said. “I was really lucky to have her read the script, but she was not interested in a significant role and stepping back into that. We brought her in as an advisor because we’re dealing with young people, and we want to take them to dangerous places safely.”

For her breakout role in William Friedkin’s 1973 classic, Blair won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her last appearance as Regan was in 1977’s Exorcist II: The Heretic. The character was also revived in Fox’s The Exorcist series, where she was played by Geena Davis.

Who’s the Cast of The Exorcist: Believer?

“Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding has raised their daughter, Angela on his own,” reads the synopsis. “But when Angela and her friend Katherine, disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.”

The Exorcist: Believer serves as a direct sequel to the original horror feature, which was adapted from William Peter Blatty’s novel. Green is directing from a screenplay he is co-writing with Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Peter Sattler. The film sees the return of Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, who will be joined by Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Raphael Sbarge, and Jennifer Nettles, with newcomers Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum.

The sequel is produced by Jason Blum, David Robinson, and James Robinson, with Green, McBride, Couper Samuelson, and Stephanie Allain executive producing. It is a co-production between Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Production.