Original Exorcist star doesn't think we need Mike Flanagan's sequel: "It's enough already"
Ellen Burstyn isn't keen on The Exorcist sequel
Original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn doesn't love the idea of Mike Flanagan's sequel.
Burstyn played Chris MacNeil in the original Exorcist movie and returned in 2023's The Exorcist: Believer.
"Isn't there enough already of the Exorcist thing?" she told Variety , referring to Flanagan's project. "It's enough already."
Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs Scarlett Johansson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laurence Fishburne, and John Leguizamo. "It's viciously dark," Flanagan has said of the film. "It's unsafely dark at times, and we went places in there that I've never, never gone on any of my sets emotionally. But I have to say that at the end of it, we found some light and some hope in it that I'm really grateful for because it's a harrowing story."
While not much is known about the film yet, it's expected to follow a single mother police officer whose son is the target of a demonic force. Ejiofor and Fishburne play priests, while Leguizamo is the satanic Father Sunday.
Flanagan has also recently adapted Stephen King's Carrie, which is confirmed to return for a second season. "For 50 years, audiences have known and gravitated to Carrie White’s story. From the beginning, we imagined a story that goes far beyond the prom, and I’m incredibly grateful for Stephen’s trust and support in exploring what comes next," Flanagan said in a statement.
The Exorcist: Martyrs hits theaters on March 12, 2027, while you can stream Carrie on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guide to the best horror movies to keep you company this spooky season.
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I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film section. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.
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