Ellen Burstyn Was "Very Skeptical" Of The Exorcist: Believer Before Agreeing To Join Sequel

The Exorcist: Believer director David Gordon Green reveals that Ellen Burstyn was initially reluctant to join the project. The new movie serves as a direct sequel to the original 1973 film, The Exorcist. Believer succeeded in doing what no other installments in the franchise could: Getting Burstyn to reprise her role as Chris MacNeil for the first time since 1973. Burstyn earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as MacNeil in The Exorcist, a mother whose daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), shows signs of demonic possession. However, she has been reluctant to dive back into the franchise.