Scarlett Johansson has been tapped to star in a new Exorcist movie.
The 41-year-old silver screen siren will appear in the upcoming feature from Blumhouse and Universal, which is directed by horror maestro Mike Flanagan.
The upcoming Exorcist film will give the 1973 original a ‘fresh, bold’ update, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The announcement comes after the most recent film in the series, The Exorcist: Believer, struggled at the box office after hitting theaters in 2023.
Flanagan is writing the screenplay for the new film, which is described as ‘not a remake nor a sequel,’ but rather is set in the same ‘universe.’
‘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,’ he said in a May 2024 press release, per Deadline.
Scarlett Johansson has been tapped to star in a new Exorcist movie; pictured in October
The 41-year-old silver screen siren will appear in the upcoming feature from Blumhouse and Universal, directed by Mike Flanagan, according to The Hollywood Reporter
Flanagan’s repertoire includes Hush, Gerald’s Game and The Life of Chuck.
In July 2021 Universal Pictures announced it spent $400 million on a new Exorcist trilogy, which brought back Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) from the 70s classic.
The first film released was 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer, which was a modest hit, earning $65.5 million domestic and $136.2 million worldwide from a reported $30 million budget.
Director David Gordon Green was expected to return with co-writers Danny McBride, Peter Sattler and Scott Teems.
But in May 2024 the studio announced it was going in a different direction with Flanagan taking the reins.
While Green and his writers were said to be in development on the sequels, the poor reception — critically and commercially — led to the studio rethinking its plans.
Flanagan is well-respected within the horror genre, having established himself with successes on both the big and small screens.
He directed indie hits including Oculus, Before I Wake and Hush, plus the well-received Ouija: Origins of Evil and the Stephen King adaptation Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining.
‘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 in a May 2024 press release; pictured in 2022
Universal Pictures is shifting away from 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer after the film struggled at the box office
He has mostly stuck to the small screen in recent years, creating the beloved Netflix shows The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, Midnight Club and The Fall of the House of Usher.
Flanagan previously worked with producer Jason Blum’s company on Oculus, Hush and Ouija: Origins of Evil.
He will also produce through his Red Room Pictures, with Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy and John Scherer.
‘Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans, and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse,’ Blum said in a statement.
‘I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of The Exorcist and can’t wait for audiences to experience it,’ he added.
David Robinson, chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek, which has the rights to The Exorcist, said: ‘It’s an honor to be working with Mike. I think his vision for this franchise is going to stun audiences worldwide, and I could not be more excited to be working with him, Trevor, Jason and the entire Blumhouse Team.’
