We’ve known for a while now that David Gordon Green‘s sequel to The Exorcist was bringing back Ellen Burstyn, but there’s another cast member from the original movie who is also set to return, as Linda Blair will reprise her role as Regan MacNeil, Above the Line has exclusively learned.
Sources say that Blair was only on set for a few days, so she’s not in the film all that much, but her return to the franchise should make fans’ heads spin with excitement.
“Linda Blair served as an advisor on the upcoming Exorcist film,” a Blumhouse spokesperson told Above the Line. Notably, that statement does not address whether or not she’s in the film.
Blair and Burstyn will be joined by franchise newcomers such as Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Jennifer Nettles, Olivia Marcum, Raphael Sbarge, and Okwui Okpokwasili.
The film is a co-production between Blumhouse and Morgan Creek, whose David Robinson and James Robinson will produce alongside Jason Blum. Green wrote the script with Peter Sattler, though the director shares story credit with his Halloween Kills cohorts Danny McBride and Scott Teems. Green and McBride are executive producing alongside Stephanie Allain, as well as Couper Samuelson of Blumhouse, whose Ryan Turek oversaw the project for the company.
Production wrapped earlier this month, and Universal will release the film in theaters on Oct. 13. There will also be a Peacock component to the release. The Exorcist is intended to launch a new trilogy, and sources say that a script for the second film was recently submitted.
Released in 1973, William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist grossed $441 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing horror movie of all time before it went on to earn 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.
