Recasting a Classic: 'The Exorcist'

9/23/2016

Written by Scott Edwards

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Exorcist and it is all about the story and the limits it pushed and overcame on the big screen. So why not take a look at a classic and see what we could do to make it that much better with a new cast and this should be pretty easy for me since I love horror movies and have plenty of ideas for some changes to one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

Chris MacNeil – Ellen Burstyn made it look easy playing a rundown mother trying to make ends meet when her daughter fell victim to the beast. So, who is an actress that can show this much range and make people feel sorry for her? I like Pollyanna McIntosh for this role after seeing her in Let Us Prey. I was blown away that I had never seen her on the screen before this movie and it was just me not doing my homework. With a wide range and being able to say things without moving her lips, I believe that she could be the right fit for Chris MacNeil.

Father Merrin – Talk about some huge shoes to fill with Max von Sydow bringing his best to the role, but it is pretty easy for me, Stephen Lang. I never knew Stephen as anything other than a bit role here and there, but when he is on the screen, wow, you cannot look away. Besides the fact the he has played a priest before, he has the presence on the screen to keep you engaged. With a wide range, he also can bring some fun to the role as his jokes from The Monkey’s Paw continue to stick in my head whenever I see him on the screen. A very good tenured actor that could make you fear being damned, since he is never looking to pull any punches.

Sharon – The live in babysitter for Reagan played by the beautiful Kitty Winn would be hard to replace. Even though she does not get a ton of screen time in the first movie, she becomes more important as the series moves on, so you need an actress that can handle that. The movie lover in me would love to say Anna Kendrick, but she is not in the horror realm as of yet, so I will go with Sharni Vinson. If you have not seen her performances on the screen yet, you need to see You’re Next and understand where I am coming from. Not needing help from anyone else, she shows that a woman can be the one you need to fear in that film and with a good acting range, she would be able to show enough terror when the house comes crumbling down.

Bruke Dennings – Say what you will, but Jack MacGowran made this bit role into one of my favorite characters in the movie, a drunken mess of a director. While every bone in my body says to go young with this role, I want a tenured actor and have come up with Jeff Fahey. I just know in my heart that he would kill in this role and some slight flirtation with Chris might do him some good. I like the range that Jeff has shown over the years, but my favorite character still has to be J.T. from Planet Terror, since he was a mess that was able to pull himself together in the end. Just showing how much he cares for his number one star and her daughter would be more than enough to warrant another drink to come his way.

Father Karras – Being a fighter, a psychologist and a priest, Jason Miller really made this role his own and there are very few people that could follow him up. This one is actually causing me an issue and I never thought that it would, but it comes down to a horror movie veteran or someone that has dabbled in the genre, I have to go with the veteran for this one, A. J. Bowen. It seems like all of his characters change slightly in every movie that he does, but looking at him from The Sacrament, it is hard to make any other choice. Being able to listen and put together pieces to solve the problems at hand seem to be a trait that Father Karras encompasses and A.J. is one of those actors that has been able to do this for years.

Regan – This was the first person I thought about when making up this new casting blog and to replace the fantastic Linda Blair, I think that Abigail Breslin is the only one. Even though she might be a little old to do it now, the younger version of her from Zombieland captured my heart and watching her turn into a zombie in Maggie, there is just no better choice. There is something about what she brings to the screen that draws people in and in every one of her roles, she steals the spotlight from everyone else. I really liked watching her kick ass in Final Girl and Haunter and even as a young veteran of the horror industry, she brings a huge upside to any show or movie that she joins on with.

Well, there you have it, how I would recast The Exorcist if I had the chance. I stayed with the horror community of actors for this one since I know it is a bit better than just pulling names out of a hat. This one was a bit more difficult than I expected it to be since there are so many great actors and actresses out there and so many more that are in the independent circuit that only hardcore horror fans would know. I might try this again, but use more of the unknowns that I have fallen in love with over the years of watching the indies, you never know. But that will have to wait, since my head has been fried and I need a scary movie to clear it. Until next time, Stay Scared.

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