An Academy Museum screening of “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is being held on Sunday night as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the New York Actors Studio.
Oscar-winning stage and screen legend Ellen Burstyn, current co-president of the Actors Studio, sat down with THR to talk about the institution and also touched upon her return to “The Exorcist” franchise almost fifty years since the original.
It turns out her agreement to return ties back to her asking price – and it wasn’t money for herself:
“I’ve turned down many versions of The Exorcist 2. I’ve said no every time. This time they offered me a whole bunch of money and I still said no. And then they surprised me and they came back and said, “We doubled the offer.”
I said, “OK, let me think about this.’ I thought ‘That’s a lot of money. Let me think about it.’ The next thought that came to mind was: ‘I feel like the devil is asking my price.’
And the next thought that came to mind was, ‘My price is a scholarship program for talented students at our master’s degree program at Pace University. That’s my price.’ So I then went back and upped their up and ended up getting what I want. And I’ve got a scholarship program for young actors.”
The 89-year-old actress goes on to say she’s shot most of the picture and is quite happy with writer-director David Gordon Green: “I like very much”. She adds:
“I promised him four more days if he needed them. And he’s edited the film and he wants the four days, so I’m going back in November to shoot four more days.”
She confirms the film is aiming to come out in 2024, on the 50th anniversary of the original.
