New Exorcist Movie Gets Radical Creative Overhaul From Mike Flanagan

The devil is getting a dramatic makeover. The new Exorcist movie, now under the control of horror maestro Mike Flanagan, has officially begun production in New York City. This marks the most significant creative update for the franchise since Universal scrapped its original sequel plans following the disappointing reception of The Exorcist: Believer in 2023.

Flanagan, the visionary behind Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, posted a simple clapperboard image on Instagram with the caption “Day 1… here we go. #theexorcist,” confirming that cameras are finally rolling on what he promises will be the “scariest movie I’ve ever made”.

The creative update extends far behind the camera. Scarlett Johansson leads an ensemble that reads like a prestige drama wish list. She’s joined by Laurence Fishburne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Diane Lane, and John Leguizamo, all Oscar nominees or winners.

Jacobi Jupe plays Johansson’s son, forming the presumed mother-and-child duo at the story’s emotional core. Leguizamo may be playing an antagonist, though details remain tightly guarded .

The supporting cast runs deep: Sasha Calle, Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Gil Bellows, Carl Lumbly, John Gallagher Jr., Carla Gugino, Robert Longstreet, Matt Biedel, and Samantha Sloyan. Notably, Sloyan and Gugino are Flanagan regulars, suggesting his trusted repertory company has followed him to this franchise.

Flanagan isn’t making a sequel to Believer or a remake of the 1973 classic. His film exists in the same universe as William Friedkin’s original but charts entirely new territory .

“The Exorcist is one of the greatest films ever made, and the scariest,” Flanagan said at New York Comic Con 2024. “My only goal isn’t to remake the scariest movie ever made. My goal is to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made”.

This approach leverages Flanagan’s signature strengths: atmospheric dread, psychological depth, and trauma exploration rather than cheap jump scares . Industry insiders suggest the script prioritizes character work over possession spectacle, though early rumors hint at a rookie detective (Johansson) investigating inconceivable darkness in a small town.

Universal originally paid $400 million for rights to an Exorcist trilogy directed by David Gordon Green. After Believer earned $137 million on a $30 million budget, respectable numbers but far from the studio’s expectations, and faced overwhelmingly negative reviews, those plans evaporated.

Flanagan stepped in last year, developing a new script that impressed Universal enough to fast-track production. The film carries a March 12, 2027 release date, pushed back from its original March 2026 slot to accommodate the creative overhaul.

Flanagan described his vision as a “fresh and bold” take on demonic possession . With Johansson making her first serious horror genre play and a cast stacked with dramatic heavyweights, this new Exorcist movie aims to reclaim the franchise’s artistic credibility while delivering genuine terror.

The combination of Flanagan’s track record, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting anthology, with Blumhouse-Atomic Monster’s production muscle and Morgan Creek’s franchise stewardship suggests the devil’s best days might still lie ahead.