David Gordon Green's The Exorcist sequel could be bringing back another original star

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The Blumhouse continuation might see the return of Linda Blair as formerly possessed youngster Regan MacNeil

Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

David Gordon Green's The Exorcist sequel could be bringing back another original star. According to a new report by Above the Line, Linda Blair might be reprising her role as Regan MacNeil from William Friedkin's 1973 film in the long-awaited follow-up.

It has already been confirmed that Ellen Burstyn will return as Chris MacNeil, Regan's mother, in the continuation, which was written by Peter Sattler and Scott Teems. In the original, Chris enlists the help of two enigmatic priests to save her daughter Regan, after the youngster is possessed by a mysterious entity. 

The publication suggests that Blair was spotted on set of the 2023 flick, which has already wrapped filming, across several days. In the past, Blair had stated that she had not been approached by Blumhouse to appear in the new movie. Regan hasn't been seen on screen since the widely maligned Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977, which saw a teenage Regan estranged from Chris, and narrowly escape a supernatural death before being taken under the wing of Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton).

Green's film – which will also star Glass Onion's Leslie Odom Jr. and The Handmaid Tale's Ann Dowd – is expected to launch a trilogy, much like how Halloween (2018) did. The director previously explained the benefits of using actors familiar with the work already, saying: "For me, I love having an anchor of perspective, and so I feel like I'm dealing with, this isn't historical subject matter, but I'm dealing with historic, cinematic characters, and I've got the iconic actress that played this part fifty years ago, and she's there to ask questions." Perhaps now, he'll have to start saying "actresses" in interviews going forward.

The Exorcist is expected to release on October 13. In the meantime, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies coming our way throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond.

Amy West
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.