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3 new Exorcist films in the works but we won’t see Linda Blair in them

The actress who played the possessed child in the original 1973 film says she hasn’t been in discussions to reprise her role in the reboot.

3 new Exorcist films in the works but we won’t see Linda Blair in them

Actress Linda Blair attends the In Touch Weekly Presents Pets and Their Stars Unleashed at the Cabana Club on September 21, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images).

It was reported earlier this week that we’ll be getting not one, but three new films in the Exorcist universe – and that Ellen Burstyn, who was in the original 1973 film, will be reprising her role in the reboot.

Burstyn starred as Chris MacNeil, the mother of Regan, the little girl who was possessed in the original film.

Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be seeing Burstyn’s screen daughter reprising her role in the new films.

On Tuesday (Jul 27), actress Linda Blair – yes, she was the possessed child in the original film – confirmed via Twitter that she has not been involved in any discussions with regards to the upcoming reboot.

"To all my fans asking about my involvement in the new Exorcist reboot, as of now there has not been any discussion about me participating or reprising my role," she wrote, with the text overlaid on a photo of her as Regan.

“I wish all those involved the best and I appreciate the loyalty and passion the fans have for The Exorcist and my character,” she added.

In an interview with The New York Post that also ran on Tuesday, Blair said that representatives for screenwriter and director David Gordon Green, production company Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Productions had contacted her to discuss their plans for the series. However, they did not mention a possible comeback for Blair on the show.

"They were polite enough to call," Blair told the Post. "We spoke about how amazing Ellen Burstyn is and that was as far as the conversation went."

The star added that she is uncertain if the support from fans would change the filmmaker’s minds.

"If they want to come back around about what should be done and what the fans want, that's a different dialogue," Blair said. "I don't think they're going to."

Blair won a Golden Globe award and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Regan. She went on the reprise her role in the 1977 sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic.

The other confirmed cast member joining Burstyn for the first of the rebooted trilogy is Leslie Odom Jr, who is best known for his work in the musical Hamilton. According to Variety, his character tracks down Chris MacNeil after his child becomes possessed. The movie is slated for an October 2023 release.

Source: CNA/sr

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