Well, it’s official: after starting talks with Blumhouse earlier this month, Mike Flanagan will write, direct, and produce the studio’s next “Exorcist” film. But Deadline reports that the project isn’t a sequel to “The Exorcist: Believer” anymore. Instead, Flanagan will helm “a radical new take” on the horror series for Blumhouse and Morgan Creek, effectively starting the franchise over.
That’s a smart move for Blumhouse, considering how poorly “Believer” fared with critics last October. David Gordon Green‘s film made only $65.5 million at the US box office, too; so bad that Green withdrew from directing the sequel shortly afterward. But Green’s exit gave Blumhouse a chance to pivot their just-purchased franchise in a new direction (NBCUni, Peacock, and Blumhouse bought the rights to “The Exorcist” from Morgan Creek in July 2021 for $400 million). Enter Mike Flanagan, and now the future looks bright for a horror series once on the downswing.
So if Flanagan’s “Exorcist” film isn’t a sequel to “Believer,” what’s it going to be instead? Blumhouse bills the project as “an all-new story set in “The Exorcist” universe.” Trevor Macy produces the film through Intreprid Pictures and Flanagan through his new Red Room Pictures banner. John Scherer will also work on the film via Intrepid.
Flanagan’s “Exorcist” film marks a reunion between the director and Blumhouse after eight years apart. 2013’s “Oculus,” 2016’s “Hush,” and “Ouija: Origin Of Evil,” also from 2016, are Flanagan’s previous movies for the studio. Macy, Flanagan’s longtime producing partner, also worked on all three titles. Since 2016, Flanagan and Macy have worked almost exclusively with Netflix on various projects, the only outlier being the 2019 Stephen King adaptation “Doctor Sleep.”
Blumhouse head Jason Blum sounds excited about Flanagan returning to the studio. “Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse,” Blum said in a press statement. “I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of “The Exorcist” and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.” As for Flanagan, he had a press statement of his own: “”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. Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.”
Expect Flanagan’s “Exorcist” pic to start shooting later this year. And Flanagan has a new film ready to hit theaters in 2024, too: another King adaptation, “The Life Of Chuck.” Stay tuned for an official theatrical release date for that one.
