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William Friedkin’sThe Exorcistwas a monumental box situation hit back in its day . Itonce held the disc for highest grossing horror movie ever made , although it ’s since been go past by such hit asThe Sixth SenseandIt . It was also the first ever repugnance film to receive a nominating address for the Academy Award for Best Picture .
diabolical possession is one of the most well - worn trope in repulsion movie theater , butThe Exorcistprovidedthe definitive take on that trope ; the one that every subsequent monomania pic has been liken to .
Alfred Hitchcock Turned Down The Movie
When the picture correct toWilliam Peter Blatty ’s novelThe Exorcistwere up for grabs , the al-Qur’an was offer to Alfred Hitchcock and he turned down the chance to produce a movie adaptation . Then , after another manufacturer purchased the plastic film rights , that manufacturer offer Hitchcock the task of direct it , but he likewise turn it down .
Before William Friedkin washired to helm the undertaking , the director ’s chair was offered to Peter Bogdanovich , Mike Nichols , John Boorman ( who finally directed the sequel ) , and Arthur Penn .
Audrey Hepburn Was William Friedkin’s First Choice For Chris MacNeil
Audrey Hepburn was director William Friedkin ’s top choice for the role of Chris MacNeil , but she only wanted to do the motion picture if they shot it in Rome , which the studio was n’t uncoerced to do .
Jane Fonda was offered the office , but turned it down due to its supernatural chemical element . Shirley MacLaine was offer it , but chose to do a unlike celluloid . Anne Bancroft could n’t make the shoot because she was pregnant .
The White-Faced Demon Was Created From Rejected Makeup Tests
ThroughoutThe Exorcist , there area handful of chilling shot of a white - faced demon . This demon ’s looking at was bear out of makeup tests for the potential visual aspect of possessed Regan that were eliminate .
Regan’s Spider Walk Was Performed By A Contortionist
One of the most terrifying moments inThe Exorcistiswhen Regan does a spider take the air down the stairs . This was perform by a contortionist named Linda R. Hager , suspended from a harness that was rigged up above the staircase .
William Friedkin removed this scene from the theatrical snub , because he worry it was a step too far and also could n’t get rid of Hager ’s wire from the shot . When they could be digitally move out , Friedkin supply the scene back into the film for the 2000 extended edition .
The Vomit Scene Backfired
For the iconic scene in which Regan vomits all over Father Karras , the pea soup prop was supposed to hit the priest in the dresser . However , the mechanism malfunction and mail the pea soup now into Jason Miller ’s face .
Miller ’s repulsive force was genuine , which worked beautifully for the scene . There are rumour that it was n’t a malfunction at all , and that the crew tweaked the chemical mechanism at the last second without telling Miller . Either style , it added a batch to the tantrum .
William Friedkin Deemed Jack Nicholson To Be To Unholy To Play Father Karras
Prior to the cast of Jason Miller , who request the part after connecting to the role due to his own chronicle of breeding as a priest , Jack Nicholson was up for the part of Father Karras . However , director William Friedkin considered Nicholson to be too fiendish to spiel a non-Christian priest .
Some of the biggest actors in Hollywood were considered for the role before Miller ’s casting , include Al Pacino , Dustin Hoffman , Paul Newman , Christopher Walken , Burt Reynolds , James Caan , and Gene Hackman .
Ellen Burstyn Vetoed One Line Of Dialogue
When Ellen Burstyn signed on to star inThe exorciser , she ask for one of her lines to be removed from the playscript : “ I trust in the Devil ! , ” which she refused to say . The producers agreed and the line was cut .
Stanley Kubrick Was Interested In Directing The Movie
When Warner Bros. get a hold of the film rights toThe Exorcistand were looking for the thoroughgoing director to bring it to the screen , Stanley Kubrick was concerned in directing the project , but only if he could grow it himself .
The studio apartment revere that the notoriously punctilious Kubrick would go over budget and over schedule if they gave him too much creative control , so he was turned down . Kubrick eventually helm a repugnance film in 1980 when he co - wrote and directedan iconic film adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Shining .
Linda Blair Received Death Threats For Starring In The Film
Since spiritual groups felt thatThe Exorcistglorified the worship of Satan and resented Linda Blair for asterisk in the film , they sent the poor actor destruction threats . In response to this , fearing for Blair ’s prophylactic , Warner Bros. lease bodyguard to protect Blair for six months after the movie hit theatre .
The Production Was Believed To Be Cursed
It is widely believed that the production ofThe Exorcistwas cursed – possibly by the Devil himself – because the cast and crew faced sempiternal problems . Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair both suffered from tremendous back injuries , with the latter also developing a mental illness as a consequence of drug addiction .
Filming was delay for six week when a fire destroyed every set except for Regan ’s bedroom . The bunch became so fearful that demons haunted the set that a real Roman Catholic priest was hired to protect the set from malign spirits .
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