Often cited as the scariest horror movie of all time and many fans’ favorite, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist made a lasting impression on horror media and American culture as a whole, but what would it look like if it was recast in 2020?
The movie is based closely on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 book of the same name, and was actually adapted into a screenplay by the writer himself. The story follows a young mother whose daughter begins acting strangely and eventually violently after playing with a Ouija board. After visiting doctors to no avail, the mother eventually reaches out to a priest for an exorcism. The cultural conversation around the movie helped it become the first horror title to be nominated for the coveted Academy Award for Best Picture.
While the original incarnation of The Exorcist is a true classic, what would be required in order for a remake to recapture that same lightning in a bottle from the first movie? Reportedly, a reboot of The Exorcist is due for a release in 2021. Surely a brilliant cast, inspired director, and script behind the scenes would lend a hand in making it potentially successful. But, who would play the roles best if The Exorcist were being cast today? Here are our picks for a 2020 cast of William Friedkin's The Exorcist.
Samara Weaving as Chris MacNeil
First, for the part of the young actress and mother Chris MacNeil, there’s no one better than Requiem for a Dream), Chris MacNeil is a single mother, working actress, and a very grounded, intelligent woman who wants to do everything she can for her daughter. She’s not superstitious or religious and instead seeks help from doctors and friends until eventually she has no other options but to meet with a priest as a last resort to help her daughter, Regan. Weaving has proven her capability as a leading actress with a young, fresh appearance, and has demonstrated strength in both horror and thriller movies.
Donald Sutherland as Father Lankester Merrin
Father Merrin, also known as the "old priest" from The Exorcist, was originally played by Don’t Look Now (1973), along with many other movies. Another benefit of using Sutherland for this role is that he wouldn’t require old age makeup. While the makeup in the original Exorcist is very good, Von Sydow was actually only 44 years old at the time of filming, and required a great deal of makeup to appear old. Father Karras actor Jason Miller was only ten years younger than Von Sydow was at the time.
Donald Sutherland would offer a similar presence on screen to Von Sydow, and is well-known for his ability to act in horror. The combination of his long-established career as a talented actor, his general on-screen presence, and his age make him the perfect choice for Father Lankester Merrin.
Christian Bale as Father Damien Karras
The Christian Bale would be the ideal actor to play the role of Father Karras. As a man who has repeatedly proven his abilities as an actor and his devotion to acting through gaining and losing weight for roles and going full method acting, it’s clear Bale would be an amazing choice.
Additionally, one of Bale’s best roles of all time is as Patrick Bateman in the horror movie American Psycho, though he’s absolutely proved his ability as a chameleon in many other films over his highly successful career. Not only does he know the horror genre well, but he takes his job seriously, and would give the part his all.
Brooklynn Prince as Regan MacNeil
Finally, the most important role in The Exorcist is that of The Turning.
Clearly she’s capable of taking on the horror genre and dealing with difficult subjects; Prince is already an up-and-coming star at a very young age. Regan displays an array of different personality traits and emotions throughout The Exorcist due to her unique condition of being demonically possessed; she has to be both a 13 year old girl and a crude, aggressive demonic entity — moving back and forth requires a great deal of skill. Based on her previous work, Prince has the range required to be able to take on this challenging role and make it her own in a satisfying, effective way.
