Universal drops major release update on Mike Flanagan’s 'The Exorcist' reboot
'The Exorcist' reboot is moving forward after a year's delay. Universal confirmed that Mike Flanagan’s upcoming untitled reboot of the cult horror classic has been set for a release date. The film is expected to hit theatres on March 12, 2027. The new movie will see Scarlett Johansson and 'Hamnet' star, Jacobi Jupe, in key roles.
Flanagan will serve as the writer, creator, and producer of the film. Universal has linked up with James Wan and Jason Blum's joint production company, Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, for the project. After reports that Flanagan was keen to revive the world of 'Exorcist', and was looking to expand the movie's universe.
The first movie was directed by William Friedkin and was released in 1973. It follows Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil, who takes the help of Catholic priests to perform an exorcism on her 12-year-old daughter, Reagan (Linda Blair), possessed by an evil entity. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning $441 million globally and earning 10 Academy Award nominations.
Per ScreenRant, Universal dished out an estimated $400M to bag the rights to 'The Exorcist' franchise to take things forward with new trilogy. The first was 'Exorcist: The Believer in 2023 and saw Burtsyn reprise her role as MacNeil. The latest film by Flanagan is connected to the '73 film, but is not a direct sequel to 'Believer'. The 2023 film starred Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O'Neill in her film debut, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ann Dowd. The story follows a photographer who must confront the chilly evil when his daughter and her best friend are possessed.
It opened to rave reviews, and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the critic consensus reads, "The Exorcist: Believer earns points for trying to take the franchise back to its terrifying roots, but a lack of new ideas – and scares – make this an inauspicious start to a planned new trilogy."
Speaking to THR, he shed light on the reboot. "We aren’t making this easy on ourselves," he said. "But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring. I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add. This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia. I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I know expectations are high. No one’s more intimidated than I am."
'The Exorcist' releases March 12, 2027.
