The Exorcist (1973) is regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and the first to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Directed by William Friedkin, the film follows the demonic possession of a young girl, prompting her mother to turn to two Catholic priests for an exorcism.
51 years later, the supernatural horror has stood the test of time, winning numerous Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, plus a lifetime gross of $441 million at the box office, but it's also perceived as one of the most 'cursed' films in cinema history. Here, we explain the origins of the 'Exorcist Curse' and why fans believe the movie is haunted.
Why do people believe The Exorcist film is cursed?
Rumours that The Exorcist was cursed began after a series of unfortunate events. The film, which began shooting in 1972, saw several on-set accidents and malfunctions as well as a number of deaths.
© Getty"We were plagued by strange and sinister things from the beginning, it is simply the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," director William Friedkin said in 1974.
A fire on set
Prompting mass hysteria, the production team was shocked after the set used for the home of possessed girl, Regan MacNeil caught on fire. In a strange turn of events, the fire was caused when a bird flew into a circuit box. Disturbingly, Regan's bedroom – where the exorcism is performed in the film – was the only part left unscathed.
© Getty"This set production back significantly, and led to a draining shooting period of over a year," film historian, Sarah Crowther explained.
Endless injuries
Alongside the fire, several cast members were injured while shooting The Exorcist, including Ellen Burstyn, who starred as Reagan's mother, Chris.
Speaking to HuffPost, Ellen recalled injuring her lower back while performing a stunt. "When she [Reagan] knocks me on the floor, I landed on my back and [director William Friedkin] said, 'Cut, take two.' And I said, 'Billy, he's pulling me too hard,' because I had a wire pulling me to the floor," she explained.
© Getty"Billy said, 'Well it has to look real.' And I said, 'I know it has to look real, but I'm telling you, I could get hurt.' And so he said, 'ok, don't pull her so hard.' But then I'm not sure that he didn't cancel that behind my back because the guy smashed me into the floor."
Following the incident, Ellen was left with a long-term injury, which has affected her for years.
© GettyEllen's co-star, Linda Blair also sustained a spinal injury during the shoot, after fracturing her lower back while thrashing around in a scene where Reagan levitates. The incident left her with scoliosis and chronic pain for years.
"I had a lot of difficulty living with the aftermath of The Exorcist," she later said. "The back injury was far more serious than I ever imagined and really affected my health negatively for a long time."
As well as the stars of the film, Castle of Frankenstein reported that a crew member lost his toe and a carpenter chopped off his thumb during filming.
Strange deaths
Actress Ellen Burstyn has reflected on the strange deaths which occured at the time. "There were many deaths on the film. Linda's grandfather died, the assistant cameraman's wife had a baby that died, the man who refrigerated the set died, the janitor who took care of the building was shot and killed … I think overall there were nine deaths during the course of the film, which is an incredible amount… it was scary," she revealed.
© GettyA week after he filmed his final scenes for The Exorcist, Irish actor Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings, died in New York.
To reassure his cast and crew, director William Friedkin approached Father Thomas Bermingham – a technical advisor for the film to exorcise the set. While he couldn't carry out an exorcism, he did give a solemn blessing in a ceremony attended by everyone on set.
