Mike Flanagan on 'The Exorcist': 'I saw the opportunity to make the scariest movie I've ever made'

Last May, Blumhouse and Mike Flanagan They formalized a new partnership for Flanagan to write, direct and produce a new installment of the classic The Exorcistwhich will contribute “a radical new vision” to the horror franchise.

This next one The Exorcist Its release in theaters is scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2026 via Universal Pictures.

The details of the story are currently under lock and key in some church. What is confirmed is that it is not a sequel to The Exorcist: Believer (2023) by David Gordon Green, which had a disappointing performance at the box office, which is why Blumhouse, which had already given the green light to a trilogy that started with Believertook some time to rethink the next step.

With Flanagan the idea of ​​a new film is born The Exorcistannounced as “a completely new story set in the universe of The Exorcist and It's not a sequel to The Exorcist: Believers of 2023.”

So, plans for the aforementioned trilogy were scrapped.

In an interview with THR, Flanagan details plans for his vision of The Exorcist:

“We’re not making it easy for ourselves. But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or a property that’s so monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring to the table.” I pursued The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced that I had something to contribute..”

“This It's an opportunity to do something that I think has never been done within the franchise.something that honors what came before but is not based on nostalgia. Really I saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I've ever made. I know expectations are high. No one is more intimidated than me..”

These are no small statements for Flanagan, who has made critically and audience-acclaimed horror films such as Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Gerald’s Game (2017), y Doctor Sleep (2019).

The new installment will be produced by Flanagan with his Red Room Pictures company and Trevor Macy for Intrepid Pictures.

It will mark the fourth film collaboration between Blumhouse and Flanagan, having written and directed Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), y Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) for Jason Blum's company.

Flanagan previously said of the project:

“The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker and It's an honor to have the opportunity to try something new, bold and scary within their universe. Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I have done some of my favorite work, only makes this more exciting.”