History Trivia / ExorcistIITheHeretic

* OldShame: For both director John Boorman and Linda Blair, Blair even going as far as calling it "one of the big disappointments of my career."

* CreatorBacklash:
** Linda Blair thoroughly enjoyed William Goodhart's original script, and signed on to the film because of it. During production, Blair claims, the script was re-written five times or so, and she was very disappointed with the final results.
** The tap-dancing is an inversion for Blair. She initially hated the idea and the dance itself, but grew to respect it as she continued her lessons. Though she still doesn’t fully know why John Boorman wanted to include it in the first place, she now appreciates having had the opportunity to learn something she never would’ve chosen for herself.

** Pazuzu is voiced by Karen Knapp instead of Mercedes McCambridge and Ron Faber.

* TheOtherDarrin: In the European French dub, Creator/MarcAlfos replaced Louis Arbessier as Father Merrin. The first film has a second dub, also with a different voice actor (Creator/MarcCassot) so it counts as well.

** Creator/RichardBurton disliked Goodhart's script and was the first to demand rewrites. He (and Blair) also vetoed a scene where possessed Regan "seduced" Father Lamont, as they saw themselves (and their characters) as akin to father and sister.

* CreatorBacklash: Linda Blair thoroughly enjoyed William Goodhart's original script, and signed on to the film because of it. During production, Blair claims, the script was re-written five times or so, and she was very disappointed with the final results.

** Creator/RichardBurton only agreed to make the film in return for Columbia casting him as Dr. Martin Dysart in ''Film/{{Equus}}'', which he had played on stage.

* DiedDuringProduction: Originally, the script had a major role for Lt. Kinderman from the first film, but upon Lee J. Cobb's death the entire film was reworked.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Originally, the script had a major role for Lt. Kinderman from the first film, but upon Lee J. Cobb's death the entire film was reworked.

* UncreditedRole: Creator/DanaPlato plays an uncredited role in this movie, Sandrah Phalor, the little girl at Dr Tuskin's parapsychology clinic that Regan counsels at the beginning. She

** When the role of Dr. Tuskin was still written as male, Creator/AlanArkin, Carradine, Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/JuddHirsch, Creator/ChrisSarandon, Creator/MartinSheen, Creator/GeneWilder and Creator/HenryWinkler were considered.

* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: Linda Blair agreed to reprise her role of Regan [=MacNeil=] under the condition that she wouldn't wear the demon make-up, so a double was used for the brief flashback scenes depicting a demonic Regan.

* BigNameFan: One of the film's few defenders were Creator/QuentinTarantino (who used one of Music/EnnioMorricone's tracks in ''Film/TheHatefulEight'') Creator/MartinScorsese, who asserted:
-->"The picture asks: Does great goodness bring upon itself great evil? This goes back to the Book of Job; it's God testing the good. In this sense, Regan (Linda Blair) is a modern-day saint — like Creator/IngridBergman in ''Europa '51'', and in a way, like Charlie in ''Film/MeanStreets''. I like the first ''Exorcist'', because of the Catholic guilt I have, and because it scared the hell out of me; but ''The Heretic'' surpasses it. Maybe Boorman failed to execute the material, but the movie still deserved better than it got."

** The scene where Regan's demon manifestation seduces Father Lamont was originally set to be much more sexually explicit, graphic, and offensively grotesque. When Blair and Burton found out about it, both refused to do it. Burton, who was 52 years old at the time and a notorious playboy, was not comfortable engaging in the scripted lewd acts with then 17-year-old Blair, as he viewed her as a daughter figure. Blair herself viewed Burton as a sort of mentor and father figure and expressed discomfort in having to sexually entice him in such a lascivious manner. Creator/JohnBorman eventually agreed to tone down the scene, but none the less it was still an uncomfortable experience for both the actors.

* BTeamSequel:
** Neither Creator/WilliamFriedkin nor William Peter Blatty returned for the sequel. The story goes that when Creator/WarnerBros rang Friedkin to ask him about making a sequel, he replied "Hell no" and hung up.
** Creator/EllenBurstyn flat out refused to return as Chris [=MacNeil=]. When Kitty Winn agreed to return, Chris' role was rewritten for Sharon.
* BigNameFan: One of the film's few defenders was Creator/MartinScorsese, who asserted:

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/LouiseFletcher was originally considered for Chris [=MacNeil=] when the role was still in the script, as Creator/EllenBurstyn repeatedly turned down offers to reprise the role. Ultimately, Chris' role was given to Sharon Spencer after Kitty Winn agreed to return, and Fletcher was assigned to play Dr. Tuskin after no suitable male actor could be found.

* MoneyDearBoy: Part of the reason Creator/RichardBurton appeared in the film was because he was divorcing Creator/ElizabethTaylor. Again.

** A scene where possessed Regan seduced Lamont was cut at the request of Burton and Blair.

** Neither Creator/WilliamFriedkin nor William Peter Blatty returned for the sequel.
** Creator/EllenBurstyn flat out refused to return as Chris [=MacNeil=]. When Kitty Winn agreed to return, Chris's role was rewritten for Sharon.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Louise Fletcher was originally considered for Chris [=MacNeil=] when the role was still in the script, as Ellen Burstyn repeatedly turned down offers to reprise the role. Ultimately, Chris's role was given to Sharon Spencer after Kitty Winn agreed to return, and Fletcher was assigned to play Dr. Tuskin after no suitable male actor could be found.

* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: Blair agreed to reprise her role of Regan [=MacNeil=] under the condition that she wouldn't wear the demon make-up, so a double was used for the brief flashback scenes depicting a demonic Regan.
* HireTheCritic: As noted below, John Boorman openly detested the original ''Exorcist'', and it's been argued that he did the exact opposite of everything that worked in the original or would have made sense as a continuation of the story. Ironically, even Boorman himself was disappointed with the resultant film.

** Creator/RichardBurton only agreed to make the film in return for Columbia casting him as Dr. Martin Dysart in ''Film/{{Equus}}'', which he had played on stage. He was also divorcing Creator/ElizabethTaylor. Again.

** Burton disliked Goodhart's script and was the first to demand rewrites. He (and Blair) also vetoed a scene where possessed Regan "seduced" Father Lamont, as they saw themselves (and their characters) as akin to father and sister.
** Blair conditioned her return to not wearing possession makeup and was always late on set. She also tried to get out of the film after the script was rewritten, but was bound to remain by her contract.

** Lt. Kinderman was written out after Lee J. Cobb died.
** Chris was PutOnABus and replaced with Sharon after Ellen Burstyn refused to return. Before Kitty Winn was secured, the studio planned to keep Chris's role by giving it to Burtstyn's lookalike and runner-up for the role, Louise Fletcher. When Winn returned, it was deemed wise to rewrite the role for Sharon, and the freed Fletcher was compensated with Dr. Tuskin's role, who had been written as a male.

** A scene where possessed Regan seduced Lamont was cut at the request of Burton and Blair.

* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: The crew tried everything to keep the locusts flying for the shots, including clipping their legs so they couldn't land. Hundreds died every day as a result of their inadaptation to the Californian climate, which rose costs as more had to be imported from abroad.

%%** While filming the destruction of the house, Blair slipped and fell into a crevasse, making it look like