Exorcist II: The Heretic Exorcist II: The Heretic Exorcist II: The Heretic is a 1977 American horror film directed by John Boorman and written by William Goodhart. It stars Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Kitty Winn, Paul Henreid and James Earl Jones. It is a sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 film "The Exorcist" based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty and the second installment of "The Exorcist" franchise. The film is set four years after the original film and centers on the now 16-year-old Regan MacNeil, who is still recovering from her previous demonic possession. The film was
The Exorcist III deal with Morgan Creek, Blatty was to direct the movie himself, and it was to be filmed on location in Georgetown. The central role of Lt. Kinderman had to be recast, as Lee J. Cobb, who played the part in "The Exorcist", had died in 1976. Oscar-winner George C. Scott signed up for the role, impressed by Blatty's screenplay: "It's a horror film and much more... It's a real drama, intricately crafted, with offbeat interesting characters...and that's what makes it genuinely frightening." Several cast members from Blatty's previous film "The Ninth Configuration" (1980) appear in "The Exorcist III": Jason Miller,