Horror mastermind Mike Flanagan has been tapped to write, direct, and produce the next Exorcist movie, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Flanagan, who led the charge on Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Fall of the House of Usher, is creating the currently untitled project with Blumhouse, which describes it as a “radical new take” for the series. His inclusion arrives after rumors that he would join the franchise earlier this month.
“The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honor to have the chance to try something fresh, bold and terrifying within its universe,” Flanagan said. “Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.”
A new chapter for the classic horror franchise follows 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer, a movie deemed a disappointment by many. The film, which was originally set to kickstart a now-canceled trilogy, premiered to middling reviews and managed to bring in $65.5 million domestically and $136.2 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. These were less-than-stellar numbers for a franchise that was said to have cost Universal $400 million, so when director David Gordon Green exited the franchise earlier this year, fans were left in the dark.
Flanagan’s Exorcist will start fresh. He’s also set to produce the movie via Red Room Pictures alongside Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy. Intrepid’s John Scherer is also attached.
“Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans, and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse,” Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum said. “I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of The Exorcist and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”
The story Green set to tell will never come to be now that Flanagan is plotting a course in a new direction. We thought Believer was okay, awarding it a 6/10 in our review. At the time, we said, “Double the possession means double the problems for The Exorcist: Believer, which is a serviceable horror movie on its own merits, but a disappointing revival for a cornerstone of horror cinema.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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