More than 50 years after its release, The Exorcist is still considered one of the scariest horror movies ever made. But for many fans, the terrifying story behind the scenes is almost as disturbing as the film itself.
Rumors that the movie was cursed began during production in 1972 after a series of bizarre accidents, injuries, and deaths started piling up around the cast and crew.
One of the creepiest incidents happened when the set used as Regan MacNeil’s home suddenly caught fire. According to reports from the production, a bird reportedly flew into a circuit box and triggered a massive blaze that destroyed most of the set. Strangely, the only room left mostly untouched was Regan’s bedroom — the exact room where the exorcism scenes were filmed.
The fire reportedly delayed production for weeks and only fueled paranoia among the people working on the movie.
Then came the injuries.
Ellen Burstyn, who played Chris MacNeil, later revealed she suffered a serious back injury while filming a violent stunt scene. Burstyn said she warned director William Friedkin that the wire pulling her backward was too strong, but the scene continued anyway because Friedkin wanted it to “look real.”
Her painful scream in the final movie was reportedly genuine.
Burstyn’s injury caused long-term back problems that affected her for years after filming ended.
Meanwhile, teenage actress Linda Blair also suffered a serious spinal injury while filming scenes where Regan violently thrashes around during possession sequences. Blair later said the injury caused chronic pain and scoliosis that impacted her health for years.
The accidents reportedly extended beyond the main cast. Reports from the time claimed one crew member lost a toe, while a carpenter accidentally chopped off his thumb during production.
But what truly cemented the movie’s “cursed” reputation were the deaths linked to the film.
According to Ellen Burstyn, several people connected to the production died during or shortly after filming, including relatives of cast and crew members. Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings in the movie, died just a week after filming his scenes.
The growing fear on set eventually became so intense that Friedkin reportedly asked Father Thomas Bermingham, a priest serving as a technical advisor on the film, to perform a blessing for the cast and crew. While the priest declined to conduct a full exorcism, he did perform a solemn blessing ceremony on set to calm everyone’s nerves.
Even today, the stories surrounding The Exorcist continue to fascinate horror fans, with many believing the disturbing events behind the scenes are part of what gave the movie its deeply unsettling atmosphere.
