It’ll take more than luck to exorcise Katherine’s demons. Director David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer is a direct sequel to the original 1973 film, The Exorcist. But in this installment of the franchise, Olivia Marcum's character, Katherine, and her friend, Angela (Lidya Jewett), will need help escaping from an evil, supernatural force that may or may not be Pazuzu. Only time will tell, but fans can check out an exclusive new photo from the film courtesy of Total Film magazine below:

Much like Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) in The Exorcist, Katherine and Angela are going to need help escaping the demonic forces threatening both of the young girls. Unfortunately, the actors who portrayed the heroic Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Father Karras (Jason Miller) have both passed away. But another mainstay from the original film, Ellen Burstyn, does return in the pivotal role of Chris MacNeil. And it was the actor’s biography that helped solidify her part in the sequel for the filmmaker.

Green said in an interview with Total Film Magazine:

"It’s incredible. I read her biography, and then it became like a mission: Could I invite one of the Hollywood icons to step into this role that she hasn’t been in, in 50 years? That’s a true undertaking.”

Related: The Exorcist: Believer - Plot, Cast, Everything Else We Know

It’s Up to Chris to Help Katherine and Angela

Ellen Burstyn does return in The Exorcist: Believer, as Chris MacNeil, some fifty years after first stepping into the role. In The Exorcist, Chris was a terrified mother just fighting for the life of her child, but she turned to Father Merrin (von Sydow) and Father Karras (Miller) to ultimately save her daughter, Regan (Blair) from the green-vomiting demon known as Pazuzu.

But this time around, Chris’ knowledge and experience will put her right in the thick of the fight to save Katherine (Marcum) and Angela (Jewett) from the clutches of possession. And much like David Gordon Green did with Jamie Lee Curtis in his Halloween trilogy, the director is bringing back The Exorcist’s “Final Girl” to help save two victims from the same fate Chris MacNeil's own daughter nearly succumbed to fifty years beforehand.

"The inspiration that her book [Burstyn's biography] gave to me in terms of her perspective after the movie, and how the success of the movie… I say 'success,' but also a lot of obstacles and hardships were faced because of the notoriety of the film. So, I got to know her, and we swapped literature and ideas, and we evolved this character to be meaningful for Ellen, beyond just a Chris MacNeil revisit."

While Burstyn is definitely playing a significant role in the movie, as the venerable Chris MacNeil, Linda Blair’s on-screen participation is being kept confidential. Blair is involved in The Exorcist: Believer as a technical advisor, but Green wouldn't say anything about the actress returning as Regan.

The Exorcist: Believer opens in theaters on Friday, October 13.