A new The Exorcist film with Scarlett Johansson!

Director Mike Flanagan, creator of the Hill House series, will be behind the camera.

After helping to revive the franchise Jurassic World for Universal (Renaissance still finished at $868 million worldwide), Scarlett Johansson will now be resurrected The Exorcist.

The actress will play the lead role in the next film in the saga for Universal and Blumhouse.

At the helm, Mike Flanagan. The filmmaker to whom we owe Doctor Sleep And The Life of Chuckbut also and above all the excellent horror series from Netflix Hill House And The Midnight Sermonswrote, directed and produced this new iteration, presented as a radical rereading of the myth. Not a simple reboot, not a nostalgic DIY: Flanagan wants to reinvent the beast.

Quick reminder: the original 1973 film, directed by William Friedkin, told the story of how a mother (Ellen Burstyn) called on two Catholic priests to try to save her 12-year-old daughter (Linda Blair), who was possessed by a demon. A culture shock and a global phenomenon, 441 million dollars under the counter and ten Oscar nominations.

Flanagan does not hide his enthusiasm:

“Scarlett is a brilliant actress, her performances always exude something visceral and authentic, whether she’s in a summer blockbuster or a genre film. I couldn’t be happier that she’s joining this ‘Exorcist’.”

As a reminder, Universal had released the checkbook in 2021: 400 million dollars to acquire the rights to a new trilogy The Exorcist. But the first part of this attempt, The Exorcist: Devotion (2023), did not launch the machine as planned. Despite the return of Ellen Burstyn, the film “only” grossed 136 million worldwide, insufficient to justify a follow-up boost.

Mike Flanagan’s new version will therefore not be a sequel to Devotioneven if it will take place in the same universe as the 1973 film. The mystery remains complete about the plot and the rest of the casting. Filming will take place in 2026 in New York. No release date yet.