The Exorcist: Believer Won’t Feature “Fun” Easter Eggs Like Halloween Trilogy

Director David Gordon Green recently took on the classic horror franchise Halloween with his own trilogy, and he’s following it up with a new Exorcist film. The Exorcist: Believer stars Leslie Odom Jr. as the father of a possessed child who turns to original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil. While this marks Burstyn’s first time in the franchise since 1973, don’t expect a ton of “fun” nods to the original films. Green recently spoke with IGN and explained that The Exorcist: Believer will be different from his Halloween trilogy when it comes to nostalgia. 

“It’s not an Easter Eggy movie,” Green revealed. “I had a lot of fun seeing what some of the old cast were up to [in Halloween], and making callbacks to all of the Halloween movies … The Exorcist isn’t that type of fun … The Exorcist is more academic and psychologically horrific.” 

“I wasn’t particularly looking to continue in horror,” Green added. “I’d said a lot in three films and was contemplating what comes next – but [The Exorcist] was too amazing of an opportunity to pass up … We could exercise new muscles, try something different, and utilize our drama tools in horror environments.”

What Is The Exorcist: Believer About? 

You can read the official synopsis for The Exorcist: Believer here: “Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Tony winner and Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; One Night in Miami, Hamilton) has raised their daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett, Good Girls) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (newcomer Olivia Marcum), 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 film “also stars Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hereditary) as Victor and Angela’s neighbor, and Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles (Harriet, The Righteous Gemstones) and two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz (Fosse/Verdon, Bloodline) as the parents of Katherine.” 

Is Linda Blair in The Exorcist: Believer?

Linda Blair played Chris’ Pazuzu-possessed daughter, Regan MacNeil, in the original Exorcist, which was helmed by William Friedkin. She also played the role again in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. There have been rumors that she will be showing up in the new installment, but it’s likely any appearance by Regan would be brief. However, Blair did play an important role on set.

“We were lucky and had Linda as a technical advisor,” Green previously told Entertainment Weekly. “She helped us bring excellent performances out of young actresses. It was really valuable having a relationship with her and being able to get her as a part of this conversation.”

The Exorcist: Believer lands in theaters on October 13th.