Scarlett Johansson is set to star in a reimagined “Exorcist” film, directed by horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan, known for his work in “Oculus,” “Hush,” and “Doctor Sleep.”
Universal Pictures told Deadline on Monday, Nov. 24, that the new movie “will tell an all-new story set in The Exorcist universe” and is not a direct sequel to 2023’s “The Exorcist: Believer.”
Flanagan is writing, directing, and producing the upcoming horror film under his production company, Red Room Pictures. It is set to mark Johansson’s first major horror film.
In announcing Johansson’s casting, Flanagan praised her grounded performances, calling her “brilliant whose captivating performances always feel grounded and real, from genre films to summer blockbusters.”
Flanagan also rose to fame for his work in the Netflix hit shows “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “Midnight Mass,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
Johansson, meanwhile, previously earned two Academy Award nominations for her work in “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit,” and has appeared in major hits like “Black Widow,” the “Avengers” film series, “Lucy,” “Under the Skin,” and “Lost in Translation.”
The Marvel actress’ most recent big-screen success came with “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which made $318 million during its global opening, a milestone that helped Johansson become the highest-grossing lead actor in Hollywood.
On top of her acting work, Johansson also made her directorial debut this year with “Eleanor the Great,” starring June Squibb, a dramedy that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Meanwhile, The Exorcist is one of horror cinema’s most iconic franchises, originally based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel. Its first film, “The Exorcist” (1973), directed by William Friedkin, was a landmark success both critically and commercially.
Over the decades, the series saw several sequels and prequels: “Exorcist II: The Heretic” (1977), “The Exorcist III” (1990), and origin stories in “Exorcist: The Beginning” (2004) and “Dominion” (2005). There was also a television adaptation that ran from 2016-2017.
“The Exorcist: Believer,” directed by David Gordon Green, was released in 2023. While the film grossed about $137 million worldwide on a $30 million budget, it received largely negative reviews, which eventually led to the cancellation of a planned trilogy. (Jessica Ann Evangelista © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
