Liam Neeson Is 'The Exorcist'

Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2001 at 4:12 PM Central

by John Couture

Liam Neeson is set to walk in Max Von Sydow's footsteps - literally. Neeson has agreed to reprise the role of Father Merrin, a role that Von Sydow originated in The Exorcist, in Exorcist 4:1.

The new movie will trace the origins of Father Merrin and his first encounter with the devil in Africa while he was a missionary. This encounter is mentioned in The Exorcist and provides the basis for Father Merrin's life work. Alec Baldwin had been previously attached to the project, but had to withdraw recently for unspecified reasons.