Trivia - Exorcist II The Heretic

In 1977, movie audiences were practically dying with anticipation to see the sequel to one of the scariest—and most controversial—movies ever made: “The Exorcist.” Hollywood was pulling out all the stops. “Exorcist II: The Heretic” had a bigger budget, an extraordinary cast that included Richard Burton and Oscar winner Louise Fletcher, and, perhaps most importantly, the return of Linda Blair, Kitty Winn, and Max von Sydow. On paper, it seemed like a recipe for another box-office sensation. What could possibly go wrong?

Well… quite a lot, as it turned out. When the film opened across the country, audiences weren’t exactly screaming with terror. Some were laughing. Others reportedly threw food at the screen, demanded their money back, and turned theater screenings into something resembling minor cinematic uprisings. The movie became a spectacular critical and commercial disappointment, and its troubled production nearly derailed director John Boorman’s career. For decades afterward, “Exorcist II: The Heretic” remained one of Hollywood’s most infamous cautionary tales—and one of the most hotly debated sequels in movie history. Was it really as bad as its reputation suggested? Or was something much more complicated going on behind the scenes?

Fast-forward nearly five decades, and the story gets a fascinating second act. In 2025, filmmaker David Kittredge premiered his documentary “Boorman and the Devil” at the Venice Film Festival. The film takes an exhaustive, empathetic, and often entertaining look at the chaotic making and enduring legacy of Boorman’s notorious 1977 sequel. After its theatrical release on August 28, 2026, followed by an expansion to other cities, the documentary has invited audiences to reconsider a movie that has spent nearly fifty years sitting comfortably in Hollywood’s cinematic naughty corner.

In honor of my recent conversation with David Kittredge on Episodes 189 & 190 of Hollywood Obsessed Podcast, I thought it would be fun to revisit the movie at the center of his fascinating documentary. So, grab your holy water, dim the lights, and prepare to enter the wonderfully weird world of “Exorcist II: The Heretic” with a collection of fun facts, behind-the-scenes stories, surprising tidbits, and trivia about one of Hollywood’s most legendary cinematic disasters. Because sometimes the movies that go spectacularly wrong are the ones that leave us with the most fascinating stories. trivia about this legendary Hollywood disaster!

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Neither William Peter Blatty nor William Friedkin—the writer/producer and director, respectively, of the original “The Exorcist”—had any desire to involve themselves in an Exorcist sequel.

Playwright William Goodhart was commissioned to write the screenplay, titled “The Heretic.” He based it around the theories of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the Jesuit paleontologist and archaeologist who had inspired the character of Father Merrin in Blatty’s novel “The Exorcist.” Goodhart’s screenplay took a more metaphysical and intellectual approach than the original film. The battle between good and evil would center on human consciousness, with the specific idea that, within the framework of Catholic theology, human consciousnesses could be brought together as one through technology—although this would also result in conflict between those seeking good and those seeking evil.

British filmmaker John Boorman signed on to direct, stating that “the idea of making a metaphysical thriller greatly appealed to my psyche.”

Years earlier, Boorman had been considered by Warner Bros. as a possible director for the original “The Exorcist,” but he turned down the opportunity because he found the story “rather repulsive.”

Linda Blair agreed to reprise her role as Regan MacNeil for “Exorcist II,” but refused to wear demon makeup. A double was used for the brief flashback scenes depicting the demonic Regan.

Max von Sydow was persuaded by Boorman to reprise his role as Father Merrin. He was initially reluctant to return because of his concerns about the negative impact of the first “Exorcist” film.

Originally, the script included a major role for Lee J. Cobb’s character, Lt. Kinderman, from the first film. However, following Cobb’s death, the entire film was reworked.

Kitty Winn agreed to reprise her role as Sharon Spencer for “Exorcist II” after Ellen Burstyn flatly refused to return as Chris MacNeil.

Linda Blair has said that Richard Burton started out sober but frequently became drunk during the middle and latter part of filming. She also recalled that tensions were high among the cast.

Dana Plato appears in an uncredited role as Sandrah Phalor, the little girl at Dr. Tuskin’s parapsychology clinic whom Regan counsels at the beginning of the film.

Boorman contacted William O’Malley about reprising his role as Father Joseph Dyer from the first film. However, O’Malley was unavailable, so the character of Father Dyer was changed to Father Philip Lamont.

Jon Voight, David Carradine, Jack Nicholson, and Christopher Walken were all considered for, or offered, the role of Father Lamont, whom John Boorman initially conceived as a younger priest in awe of Father Merrin’s writings.

Jon Voight initially signed on for the role but left in April 1976 when “differences about the role could not be resolved.” He was replaced when Richard Burton signed on for the part.

The role of Dr. Gene Tuskin was originally written for a man, with Chris Sarandon and George Segal both considered for the role. When the sex of the character was changed, both Ann-Margret and Jane Fonda were considered. Louise Fletcher, who had just won the Academy Award for Best Actress for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), ultimately accepted the part.

Linda Blair had to take tap-dancing lessons for the film. Although she loathed it, she eventually came to respect the craft and embraced the opportunity.

Although John Boorman wanted to film the majority of the movie on location—including in Ethiopia and at the Vatican—many of his plans proved impossible. As a result, key exterior scenes had to be filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot. Even the MacNeil house in Georgetown had to be replicated on the studio lot because the filmmakers were refused permission to film at the original house.

The filmmakers also had to replicate the infamous “Hitchcock Steps” adjacent to the MacNeil house after Washington, D.C., city officials refused permission to shoot scenes at the real location.

A key scene in which a sleepwalking Regan is about to wander off a rooftop was filmed in New York City, atop 666 Fifth Avenue, where the studio’s offices were then located. With no stunt double and no special effects, the shot showed Linda Blair’s feet standing on the edge of the building, with Fifth Avenue far below.

Boorman contracted San Joaquin Valley fever, a respiratory fungal infection, which halted production for more than a month and resulted in a costly delay.

The swarms of locusts were created by painting a few thousand Styrofoam packing peanuts brown and shooting them through the air with a large blower.

Stars Kitty Winn and Louise Fletcher both suffered from gallbladder infections during production.

Director Sir John Boorman pulled the film from theaters twice to make additional edits.

Linda Blair has claimed that, because of the numerous rewrites, the finished film was nothing like the movie she had originally agreed to make. She has also said that, to this day, she does not understand what the locusts were supposed to represent.

“The Heretic” was Warner Bros.’s largest day-and-date launch at the time, opening in 725 theaters across the United States and Canada. It set an opening-weekend record for the studio, earning $6.7 million, but poor word of mouth dramatically hampered its subsequent performance.

The film inspired derisive laughter from audiences at its premiere in New York City. William Peter Blatty claimed to have been the first person to start laughing at the theater where he saw the film, only to be followed by the other patrons.

William Friedkin, director of “The Exorcist,” recalled hearing a story that angry audience members at Exorcist II’s first public screening began chasing Warner Bros. executives down the street within the first 10 minutes of the screening.

Although widely regarded as a flop, the film was actually the only one of the Exorcist sequels and prequels to turn a profit from its theatrical release. However, it was still a major underperformer and a critical embarrassment for the studio. Its disastrous critical reception led to plans for a second sequel being promptly abandoned. “The Exorcist III” (1990) would not arrive for another 13 years—and when it did, it was released by a different studio rather than Warner Bros.

“Boorman and the Devil” was released nationally in August 2026. The documentary examines the making of John Boorman’s 1977 horror film “Exorcist II: The Heretic”, a production that nearly ended his career. The documentary was produced, edited, and directed by David Kittredge.

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Some of the facts featured in this article were sourced from IMDb and Wikipedia.

If these fun facts have you feeling a little nostalgic for this controversial and fascinating film, there’s even more “Exorcist II” fun waiting for you!

Be sure to check out my fascinating two-part conversation with documentary filmmaker David Kittredge on Hollywood Obsessed Podcast in Episodes 189 & 190. David takes me behind the scenes of his critically acclaimed documentary "Boorman and the Devil," offering an entertaining, revealing, and deeply personal look at the making of John Boorman’s infamous sequel—as well as everything that happened during production and in the years following its release.

It’s a candid and fascinating conversation about filmmaking, obsession, perseverance, and the passion it takes to tell a story you simply believe needs to be told. For cinephiles, film historians, and anyone fascinated by the stranger-than-fiction stories behind Hollywood movies, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss!

Listen to the Full Conversation

Episode 189: HERE

Episode 190: HERE