Universal Pictures is shifting away from last year’s The Exorcist: Believer, enlisting filmmaker Mike Flanagan to take the helm for a new film.
The studio announced in July 2021 they spent a whopping $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 original 1973 classic.
The first film set to spawn the trilogy 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.
The Exorcist: Believer director David Gordon Green was expected to return to the helm with co-writers Danny McBride, Peter Sattler and Scott Teems.
Now the studio is going in a completely different direction with Flanagan’s new film, which THR reports will be, ‘a radical new take’ on the franchise.
Universal Pictures is shifting away from last year’s The Exorcist: Believer, enlisting filmmaker Mike Flanagan to take the helm for a new film
The studio announced in July 2021 they spent a whopping $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 original 1973 classic
Now the studio is going in a completely different direction with Flanagan’s new film, which THR reports will be, ‘a radical new take’ on the franchise
The story will be set within the Exorcist universe that The Exorcist: Believer is set in, but it will not be a direct sequel to that film.
While Gordon Green and his writers were said to be in development on the sequels, the poor reception – critically (22% on Rotten Tomatoes) and commercially – lead to the studio rethinking their plans.
Flanagan is quite revered in the horror landscape, with his work well-received on both the big and small screens.
He directed indie hits such as Oculus, Hush and Before I Wake, plus the well-received Ouija: Origins of Evil and the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining.
He has been sticking mostly 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 most recently The Fall of the House of Usher.
‘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 statement.
‘Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting,’ he added.
Flanagan previously worked with producer Jason Blum’s company on Oculus, Hush and Ouija: Origins of Evil.
The story will be set within the Exorcist universe that The Exorcist: Believer is set in, but it will not be a direct sequel to that film
Flanagan is quite revered in the horror landscape, with his work well-received on both the big and small screens
‘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 statement
Flanagan will also produce through his Red Room Pictures, with Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy and John Scherer
Flanagan 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,’ Jason 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,’ Blum added.
David Robinson, chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek, which has the rights to The Exorcist, adding, ‘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.’
