Actor Ellen Burstyn, who will be seen in the upcoming film The Exorcist: Believer, reprising her role as Chris MacNeil, opens up about returning to the horror franchise.

Directed by David Gordon Green, the upcoming film will show the imagined journey that Chris MacNeil began after her daughter Regan’s brutal exorcism in 1973. Since the events of the first film, Chris has dedicated her life to helping others understand the phenomenon of possession—especially other parents who have gone through hardships of the unexplained.

Talking about her part in the film, Burstyn said, “Chris has had 50 years of living, and I thought, ‘Who has she become? What are the experiences that happened to her in those 50 years, and how does that affect the person she is now?’ That interested me creatively. We are, in any moment of time, the sum total of everything that has happened to us and how that has become part of our character. That was an interesting challenge to explore.”

Speaking about Ellen Burstyn, producer David Robinson said, “We would have no film without Ellen. She is an extraordinary actor, and we knew what she could bring to this movie and to the rest of the cast. She is the heart of the story. Not only is she an incredible actress, but when audiences see the relationship that she has with Leslie and the children, they will be so impressed.”

The Exorcist: Believer has a script David co-wrote with Peter Sattler from a story he wrote with Scott Teems and Danny McBride, based on characters created by William Peter Blatty. The Exorcist: Believer will be in theatres worldwide and available in India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on October 6.