Exorcist Devotion: 50 years later, is the possessed girl from the first movie back?

Warning – This article contains “The Exorcist – Dedication” spoilers.

A year after the new Halloween trilogy, David Gordon Green and producer Jason Blum return with The Exorcist – Devotion, the direct sequel to William Friedkin’s 1973 classic.

If William Friedkin did not want to be involved in the project, when it came to Halloween, the duo managed to bring back the hero of the first film. Until now, Ellen Boorstyn has always turned down the role of Chrissy, the mother of young Regan (Linda Blair) possessed by the demon Pazuzu, this is the first time the actress – now 90 – has agreed to return. But this is not the only …

Until now, it was unknown whether Linda Blair would return to new films. However, Regan’s interpreter is very much present in The Exorcist – Devotion.

In 1974, she won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her masterful portrayal of a possessed child and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, then reprized her role in John Boorman’s 1978 sequel, The Exorcist 2: The Heretic. So, the American actor will play in front of the camera for the third time. But his presence in Devotion is more of a cameo.

In David Gordon Green’s feature film, Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.) is raising his daughter Angela alone. One day, Angela and her friend Catherine disappear into the woods, only to reappear 72 hours later with no memory of what happened to them… Since then, strange events have followed and Victor has been confronted by terrible forces of evil. Desperate and terrified, she echoes the only person alive who has ever witnessed such events: Chris McNeill (Ellen Boorstyn).

During a meeting with Victor, Chris quickly brings Regan up and explains that her daughter broke up with her after a book was published that tells their story. If Regan’s presence hovers throughout the film, especially through the demon who quotes and engraves her name, it appears at the end of the film. Regan comes to her mother. Then we imagine that this reunion will be at the heart of the second part of the trilogy, called The Exorcist: Deceiver and scheduled to hit our theaters on April 16, 2025.

Linda Blair, Advisor

But Linda Blair He did not appear on the screen until the last minute of the film. The actress attended the filming and gave valuable advice to young actresses Lydia Jewett and Olivia O’Neill. During our interview with the director David Gordon GreenThe latter told us:Lydia and Olivia are incredible. Their role was physical and emotional and they did an incredible job. We had Linda Blair as a counselor, she explained to them how to go safely to dangerous places.“

The latter adds a microphone Fandango :”It was great to have Linda as a consultant. He helped us a lot in understanding the psychology of our young talent. Lydia and Olivia are wonderful young actors – and we were asking them to go to very dangerous, very provocative, very spiritual places.

Psychologically, we wanted to do it as safely as possible…the fact that Linda had already experienced it helped a lot because it allowed us to have a healthy way to go through the places she was. unhealthy“.

When The Exorcist was filmed in 1973, Linda Blair was only 14 years old. Right after its release, religious fanatics accused the film of “glorifying Satan” and the young actor had to be protected by security guards for 6 months.

After William Friedkin’s death in August last year, Linda Blair posted a tribute on her Instagram account, thanking the director for his “fierce protection” and adding: “He understood my need to stay in nature, my love for animals. and gave me my first horse”.

Therefore, Linda Blair used her difficult experience on the set to help the young Lydia Jewett and Olivia O’Neill to play the possessed girls who were affected and were able to get out of the character after the filming was over.

The Exorcist – Devotion is currently in theaters.