-Notes provided by Warner Bros.

Production Information

In a quiet neighborhood, in a house with all the modern conveniences, an innocent young girl becomes afflicted. Her mother can't help her. Doctors uselessly test and attempt to treat her. In desperation fearing her illness reaches beyond the physical and into the spiritual -- her mother calls a priest. But even he doubts that evil has come into their home, into her body. And the more he doubts, the more powerful it becomes. There is only one cause, and only one hope for a cure.

"It's an excellent day for an exorcism."

In 1973, one film opened the door to our deepest fears and forever etched itself into the fabric of the world's consciousness. This year, the film that garnered Academy Awards, broke box office records, and has been called the scariest film ever made is back with never-before-seen footage and in six-track digital surround sound.

The clash between good and evil was never as emotional nor as graphic as depicted in "The Exorcist." Written first as a novel by William Peter Blatty and inspired by an actual exorcism in the Washington, D.C. area, the tale has become firmly entrenched into the world's psyche.

The book was a #1 best seller, with 13 million copies in the U.S. alone, while the film, directed by Academy Award-winner William Friedkin, broke box office records in its initial theatrical run. As a "phenomenon" around the world, people waited in lines for hours, sometimes in pouring rain, to experience "The Exorcist." At the time, it became the second highest grossing film of all time behind "The Godfather."

Controversy surrounded its release. Evangelist Billy Graham aligned the film with evil itself while the Catholic Church embraced the strength of the film's religious overtones. Audiences were terrified, sickened and intellectually challenged by the film. Polls conducted by sources including Entertainment Weekly and Total Movie have voted "The Exorcist" as the scariest film of all time.

"The Exorcist" saw remarkable breakout performances by young Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jason Miller, who made his feature film debut as Father Karras, the priest who questions his own faith in the midst of the greatest test of his life. Both were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances, along with film legend Ellen Burstyn (Oscar winner for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "The Spitfire Grill") as Regan's mother Chris MacNeil. Max von Sydow ("Snow Falling On Cedars," "Hannah and her Sisters") starred as Father Merrin, the title character. The film also starred Lee J. Cobb as Lt. Kinderman, who befriends Karras while investigating a death at the MacNeil residence; Kitty Winn as Chris's assistant, Sharon; and Jack MacGowran as Burke. Mercedes McCambridge gives the film its unforgettable vocal track which delivers some of the most memorable lines in film history.

Produced and written by William Peter Blatty, the film was directed by William Friedkin. Noel Marshall served as executive producer. Behind-the-camera personnel included Owen Roizman, director of photography; Billy Williams, director of photography (Iraq sequence); Bill Malley, production designer; Joseph Fretwell III, costume designer; Marcel Vercoutere, special effects; Dick Smith, makeup artist; and Jordan Leondopoulus and Bud Smith (Iraq sequences) as editors.

Technical advisors for the film included Reverend John Nicola, S. J.; Reverend Thomas Bermingham, S.J.; Reverend William O'Malley, S.J.; Norman E. Chase, M.D., Professor of Radiology, New York University Medical Center; Herbert E. Walker, M.D. and Arthur I. Snyder, M.D.

The new cut of "The Exorcist" includes eleven minutes of additional footage not used in the original release and completely redesigned sound. Steve Boeddeker served as sound designer and Jennifer Law-Stump as digital effects artist.

The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including (in addition to the acting nominations for Miller, Blair and Burstyn), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Set Decoration, Best Sound, Best Art Direction and Best Picture. It won the awards for Best Sound and Best Screenplay.

"The Exorcist" also won four of its seven Golden Globe nominations. Friedkin, Blatty and Blair were acknowledged for their efforts and the film was voted Best Motion Picture Drama.

"The Exorcist" is a rare example of a powerful novel becoming a powerful motion picture. The collaboration between Blatty and Friedkin, which started well before the first frame of film rolled, continues to this day and in this new adaptation.

"This is the version Bill Blatty always believed in," Friedkin said, "and it's taken me 26 years to see why and finally agree with him. The restored footage not only deepens the spiritual foundation of the film, but adds some truly terrifying moments as well."

Significantly, the film continues to evoke intellectual and emotional stimulation nearly 30 years after its original release. "I do think that you are being taught something about good and evil while you're watching 'The Exorcist,'" says Blatty. "On one level, it's this wonderful roller coaster ride, but on a deeper, unconscious level, while you're watching it, you're being told that there are spiritual forces active in the universe some nice, some not so nice -- in effect, that there is a God. It's in there, within the film, and it's getting to you as you watch. And how often can you go to a film and really feel something?"

Friedkin's take on the movie is more succinct: "You take from 'The Exorcist' whatever you bring to it"

Blatty's novel was inspired by a reported exorcism of a 14-year-old boy, which took place in 1949 in Maryland. He had read about the event while attending Georgetown University and the event lay dormant in his imagination until he researched and wrote the book, which was published in 1971.

Prior to the publication of the book, Blatty had established himself as a successful comedy writer of books and screenplays such as Which Way to Mecca, Jack, What did you do in the War, Daddy and the Peter Sellers (Inspector Clouseau) hit, A Shot in the Dark.

Blatty had pursued the possibilities of The Exorcist as a motion picture even before the novel was published. After Warner Bros. suggested several A-list directors, the writer insisted upon William Friedkin, especially after the studio executives watched his latest film, "The French Connection," for which he won an Academy Award.

The casting process of the movie was unusual in that several screen legends like Max von Sydow and Lee J. Cobb were hired in combination with some relative newcomers. Ellen Burstyn had just been nominated for an Academy Award for her part in "The Last Picture Show" and had impressed Friedkin so much so that he fought very hard with Warner Bros. to cast her in the part. She was later to win an Academy Award for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore."

Linda Blair was selected out of literally hundreds of child actor auditions, while Friedkin insisted upon Pulitzer Prize winning-playwright and first-time actor Jason Miller in the pivotal role of Father Damien Karras.

As with everything concerning this motion picture, both Blatty and Friedkin were deliberate and methodical in their decisions. Numerous meetings with Blair assured the director that the young actress could handle the difficult part. Blair recalls that she was successfully able to disassociate herself with the character, Regan MacNeil, in dealing with the profane language and frightening activity.

As far as the choice of Miller, Friedkin was aware that various top actors were interested in the role, but he was looking for a "priest that could act." He had seen Miller's play, That Championship Season, and believed that the effort denoted a "lapsed Catholic" quality that he wanted in that character.

Even though Miller was quick to explain to the director that he had never acted in a movie before, Friedkin had a hunch. That hunch played out into an Oscar nomination for Miller.

After some initial shooting in New York, the production began filming in Washington, D.C. It was a demanding shoot for the entire crew, but especially for cinematographer Owen Roizman, special effects man Marcel Vercourtere and makeup artist Dick Smith.

Without the aid of even a steadicam, Roizman was challenged in creating both evocative lighting and elaborate camera moves. Many of the special effects, devised by Vercourtere, like the bed shaking or Regan floating above the bed, were performed with rigs, harnesses or pulleys. The two men worked closely together to satisfy the specific demands of Director Friedkin.

While Dick Smith knew that the transformation of Regan MacNeil from little girl to demon would be intensely scrutinized, the harder task for him was turning a 40ish Max von Sydow into an elderly priest. He notes that he used as many appliances for von Sydow's makeup as he did for Blair. Von Sydow was forced to come in at 3:30 AM to be ready for the shooting call.

The demon makeup for Blair was accomplished through trial and error. According to Smith, Friedkin eventually solved the problem by suggesting that Regan's horrific features should be organic from self-inflicted wounds, just as they were in Blatty's novel.

On May 17th, 1973, shooting on "The Exorcist" wrapped in New York.

The last footage to be shot was the prologue for the movie to be shot in Iraq. Cinematographer Billy Williams took over for Roizman and a new set of problems faced the production. Instead of a freezing room on a New York soundstage, the blazing heat of the Middle East tortured the crew. Plus, the giant statue of the demon Pazuzu disappeared. Production designer Bill Malley finally located the piece which had been mistakenly shipped to Hong Kong. Filming in Iraq finished on July 15, 1973.

One key element that fit into place during the post-production process was the voice of the demon. Friedkin knew that he would have a hard time replicating the uniquely shocking voice that Blatty had described in the novel. It was sheer fate that the director remembered some of the radio work done by Academy Award-winning actress Mercedes MacCambridge. Friedkin recalls how MacCambridge spent an intense three weeks working on the voice. "It was pure inspiration," he recalled later.

The film opened on December 26, 1973. Since it had not been screened with audiences, the filmmakers were stunned at the emotional reaction of the crowds. As the film built in intensity, audiences responded in kind; some people screaming, hiding, ducking and running up the aisles to get out.

In Los Angeles, "The Exorcist" established the highest ever-opening gross for a theater, selling out every single show at the National Theatre in Westwood. Despite freezing temperatures, huge crowds turned out in New York where the exhibitors added extra screenings to appease the massive numbers.

"The Exorcist" became a worldwide phenomenon. Because of the movie, interest in religion, possession, spirituality and myriad related topics skyrocketed. Numerous books and movies with similar themes followed, establishing a genre that continues to thrive even today. And the scariest film ever made continues to make an indelible impression on a worldwide audience.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist," directed by William Friedkin and starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller as Father Karras and Linda Blair as Regan. The film is produced by William Peter Blatty and the executive producer is Noel Marshall. The screenplay is by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel. The film is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, A Time Warner Entertainment Company.

www.theexorcist.net

About the Cast

LINDA BLAIR is a versatile and popular performer whose career spans film, television and stage. Widely recognized for her film and television roles, Blair's best-known work includes "Born Innocent," "Sara T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic," "Sweet Hostage," " Summer of Fear," "Roller Boogie" and the feature parody, "Repossessed." She also appeared with Bob Goldthwaite as the Bundys' trailer trash cousins in the hit television sitcom, "Married With Children."

Blair recently shot 13 episodes for the hit BBC show, "LA-7," currently airing on the Fox Family channel . She also recently launched the internet site: www.thealternet.com which is devoted to developing content and programming that will entertain as well as raise awareness to the global issues affecting the quality of human and animal life. Blair's production company, Falcon Wolf, has also recently had projects optioned by Tri-Star Television and Fred Silverman Productions.

In a special television appearance earlier this year, Blair received great reviews for her starring role in the PAX drama, "Chicken Soup for the Soul." Last year, she gave a critically acclaimed performance as a novelist suffering with multiple personalities on "Psi-Factor." Previously, she received the Best Actress Award from the New Orleans Film Festival for her work in "Marina."

Blair's other stage credits include a successful 1997 Broadway debut as Rizzo in "Grease"; "Women Behind Bars" with Sally Kellerman; the San Francisco production of "Run For Your Wife"; and the Canadian production of the romantic comedy, "It Had to Be You."

Blair was raised in rural Connecticut, near New York City, where she began modeling and acting at age five. By her tenth birthday, her credits included more than 75 commercials, numerous voice-over assignments, magazine covers and layouts, a recurring soap opera role and two feature film parts.

Blair had aspirations of pursuing veterinary medicine until she was sidetracked with her casting in "The Exorcist." She re-directed her love of horses into the world of show jumping and ultimately became a leading amateur owner/jumper/rider on the prestigious Florida circuit throughout her life.

Aside from her film and television work, Blair has become a worldwide renowned animal rights activist and humanitarian. Some of the charities she serves are: PETA; Art Trust; Last Chance for Animals and Actors and Others for Animals. In addition, she has worked for the past several years with Feed the Children, aiding those left homeless from natural disasters and Variety, the children's charity.

ELLEN BURSTYN won an Academy Award for her performance in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" while receiving nominations for "The Last Picture Show" and "The Exorcist." Also, she is a Tony Award winner and has been nominated for numerous Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.

Born in Detroit, Burstyn worked as a dancer before studying with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Some of her other feature film credits include "Same Time, Next Year," "King of Marvin Gardens," "Resurrection," "The Spitfire Grill" and "How to Make an American Quilt," to name a few.

She has also starred in dozens of television motion pictures and series including the self-titled "The Ellen Burstyn Show."

MAX VON SYDOW was born in Lund, Sweden, where his father was an ethnologist. When he was in high school, he and some friends started a theatre club which encouraged his interest in acting. He studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school and worked in local theatre after graduation.

His extensive motion picture work with director Ingmar Bergman made him internationally known. Some of his best-known work with Bergman includes "The Seventh Seal," "Wild Strawberries," "The Virgin Spring" and numerous others. Other film credits include "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "Hawaii," "Flash Gordon," "Hannah and Her Sisters" and the recent "Snow Falling on Cedars," to mention only a few.

Von Sydow was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Pelle the Conqueror."

LEE J. COBB, in a career that spanned more than 40 years, left his mark on films, television and theatre. His award-winning portrayal of Willy Loman in the original production of "Death of a Salesman" is a memorable point in the American theatre.

In the 1950's, Cobb's major feature films included "On the Waterfront," "12 Angry Men," "The Three Faces of Eve," "The Left Hand of God," "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," "The Brothers Karamazov," a "Exodus," "How the West Was Won" and "Coogan's Bluff."

Cobb passed away in 1976.

KITTY WINN, the daughter of an Army officer, was born in Washington, D.C. and spent much of her childhood in China, India and Japan.

She began acting while a student at Boston University, and joined the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She made her Broadway debut in "The Three Sisters" in 1969, and in that same year played Emily in a production of "Our Town" starring Henry Fonda.

Winn won the Golden Palm at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in "Panic in Needle Park" with Al Pacino. Her other feature film credits include "They Might Be Giants," "Exorcist II: The Heretic" and "Peeper." She has numerous television movie and episodic credits.

JACK MAGOWRAN, who came out of the Golden Age of the Irish Theatre, was a close friend of Samuel Beckett. He assembled a one-man show called "MacGowran in the Work of Beckett," and won an Obie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in 1970-71.

His feature film credits include "Tom Jones," "Dr. Zhivago" and "Lord Jim." Shortly after completing his role in "The Exorcist," he opened in a revival of "The Plough," and his untimely death occurred shortly thereafter.

JASON MILLER is the author of Broadway's triple-crown winner, "That Championship Season." His play won the New York Drama Critic's Best Play Award in 1972 and a Tony Award as Best Play in 1973 as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Miller was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "The Exorcist." Other feature film acting credits include "The Nickel Ride," "The Ninth Configuration," "Monsignor," "Toy Soldiers," "Light of Day," "The Exorcist III," "Small Kill," "Rudy," "Murdered Innocence," "Mommy," "Trance" and "Slice."

He is the father of actors Jason Patric and Joshua Miller.

About the Filmmakers

WILLIAM FRIEDKIN (Director) began his career in the mailroom at WGN-TV, Chicago, and within two years was directing live television. In eight years, he directed more than 2,000 live programs. His first work in film was "The People Vs. Paul Crump," a documentary about a man who spent eight years on death row in the Cook County Jail. With it, Friedkin won his first award, the Golden Gate Prize at the San Francisco Film Festival. More satisfying than the award was Crump's commuted sentence due to the attention the film garnered.

The project so impressed station management that Friedkin was appointed head of a newly created documentary film unit. He continued to make documentaries, including several for producer David Wolper: "The Thin Blue Line," "Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon" and "The Bold Men."

Friedkin's first feature film, "Good Times" (1968), also marked the screen debut of Sonny and Cher. This was followed by "The Night They Raided Minsky's "(1968), "The Birthday Party" (1969) and "The Boys in the Band" (1970).

During the late '60s and early '70s with the youth movement, Woodstock and the Vietnam War, using drugs became an integral part of the counterculture. "The French Connection" (1971), a sharp, gritty expose' of the drug world, won Friedkin a Best Director Oscar and also earned Academy Awards for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role and Editing. In addition, it was nominated for Cinematography, Sound and Supporting Actor.

He followed that with "The Exorcist" (1973), one of the most frightening pictures of all time, which received 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, and won for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. Other Friedkin pictures include "Sorcerer" (1977), "The Brink's Job" (1979), "Cruising" (1981), "Deal of the Century" (1983) and "To Live and Die in L.A." (1985).

In 1986, Friedkin returned to television with a two-hour movie of the week titled "C.A.T. Squad." NBC ordered a second, "C.A.T. Squad Python Wolf," which aired in May of 1988.

Between television shows, Friedkin directed "Rampage" (1987), a feature film for which he also wrote the screenplay. The film deals with the death penalty and the complexity of the insanity plea and was released in 1992.

In 1990, Friedkin returned to the horror genre with the release of

"The Guardian." This was followed by an episode of HBO's "Tales of the Crypt," which Friedkin directed in 1992.

In 1993, Friedkin directed "Blue Chips" starring Nick Nolte, Shaquille O'Neal and Mary McDonnell. "Blue Chips" was released in February, 1994 with positive reviews. Friedkin followed this with "Jade" (1995), written by Joe Eszterhas and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino and Chazz Palminteri.

In early 1997, Friedkin directed a Showtime/MGM television remake of the classic courtroom drama, "12 Angry Men," which included legendary stars Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Hume Cronyn and Ossie Davis. The DGA nominated Friedkin for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Best Dramatic Special. It was also nominated for six Emmy Awards.

On May 26, 1998, Friedkin made his critically acclaimed operatic debut by directing Alban Berg's "Wozzeck" in Florence, Italy, with Zubin Mehta conducting.

Most recently, he directed "Rules of Engagement" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.

WILLIAM PETER BLATTY, born in New York City, was the son of Lebanese parents. His father left home when Blatty was six and the family moved frequently, some 28 different addresses in a few years. Blatty's mother was deeply religious, which influenced his childhood and choice of schools. He attended Catholic grammar school, St. Stephens in New York, Brooklyn Preparatory, a Jesuit high school and Georgetown University, also a Jesuit school, where he received a bachelor's degree. He then studied English literature at George Washington University. After receiving his M.A., Blatty entered the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Beirut, Lebanon.

During this time, he started to write and published his early articles in magazines like Saturday Evening Post. After returning to the U.S., he worked as the director of publicity at the University of Southern California.

As a novelist, Blatty made his debut with Which Way to Mecca, Jack? (1959). He also wrote John Goldfarb, Please Come Home, and I, Billy Shakespeare.

His script for a Danny Kaye comedy, "The Man From Diner's Club," was produced four years later. It was directed by Frank Tashlin and told of a clerk who accidentally lets a credit card go to a notorious gangster. Blatty quickly became one of Hollywood's leading comedy screenwriters. In the mid-1960s, Blatty started his association with film director Blake Edwards, writing such films as "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy" (1966), "Gunn" (1967) and "Darling Lily" (1970).

In 1969, Blatty rented a cabin in the woods near Lake Tahoe and began writing The Exorcist. It became a #1 worldwide bestseller, selling 13 million copies in the United States alone, and paved the way to the rise of the horror-supernatural genre of the 1970s. The inspiration for the book dated to 1949, when Blatty was at Georgetown University and read local newspaper accounts of an exorcism involving a fourteen-year-old boy in Mount Ranier, Maryland. In 1970, the author, who had once considered becoming a Jesuit and entering the priesthood, started his research work for the novel. Ultimately, it was based on an earlier case from 1928 and other historical cases dating back to the Bible.

The movie, which opened in December, 1973, broke box office records. Garnering ten Academy Award nominations, "The Exorcist" won for sound and for Blatty's screenplay.

The film was followed by two sequels including "The Exorcist III," which was based on Blatty's novel, Legion. Blatty wrote and directed it and used a detective story structure to convey a theological message.

Blatty also wrote the novels Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane, The Ninth Configuration, Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing and Elsewhere. He adapted and directed "The Ninth Configuration" as a motion picture starring Stacy Keach in 1980.

Blatty has received several awards including Golden Globes (1973, 1980), Academy of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Award (1980) and The American Film Festival Blue Ribbon and Gabriel Award for an episode of the religious "Insight" television series.

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