Mike Flanagan is one of the most creative and engaginghorrorfilmmakers, and in a recent interview,he shared something thrilling about his upcoming reboot ofThe Exorcist.
In an early September 2024 interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Flanagan shared that he “chased” this reboot “very aggressively” because of what he could bring to the movie.Flanagan explained his intention to make this movie more terrifying than his previous projects.
Flanagan toldThe Hollywood Reporter:
“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.”
SinceThe Exorcistis a beloved horror classic, it makes sense that other filmmakers would want to make their mark on the franchise. In May 2024,Deadlinereported that Flanagan would write and direct a newExorcistmovie. WhileDavid Gordon Green madeThe Exorcist: Believer, it didn’t do well at the box office and wasn’t a hit with audiences, either. His trilogy was canceled and now Flanagan is at the helm of a new movie.
Fans have debatedwhich Flanagan Netflix series is bestsinceThe Midnight Club,Midnight Mass, andThe Haunting of Hill Housearewell-crafted and unique TV shows with solid characters in situations that are as emotional as they are eerie. Flanagan has a knack for ensuring his stories have as much heart as they do jump scares and other horror elements, and it will be interesting to see how that translates toThe Exorcistfranchise. Since Flanagan is a fan of Stephen, it’s no wonder that fans think there are someStephen King books Flanagan could adapt. As it turns out, he was afraid of horror movies when he was growing up but liked reading horror books. He said in hisThe Hollywood Reporterinterview that he loves King’s blend of scares and character development. He explained:
“it only works because of his incredible humanistic care for the characters. He’s always been my hero as a writer.”
The originalThe Exorcistwas released in 1973 and has several sequels: 1977’sExorcist II: The Hereticand 1990’sThe Exorcist III. Then, in the 2000s,Exorcist: The Beginningwas released in 2004 andDominion: Prequel to the Exorcistwas released in 2005. There was then a long break before David Gordon Green’sTheExorcist: Believerwas released. No matterhow many scary movie demonsthere are,The Exorcistwill always be the gold standard forhorror movies about demonic possession.No one can forget the scene of Regan MacNeil’s (Linda Blair) head spinning around, and since that is widely considered to be one of the most terrifying moments in horror history, it will be interesting to see just how scary Flanagan’s version gets.
Horror fans likely can’t wait to seeFlanagan’sThe Exorcist, which will be in theaters on Friday March 13th, 2026, according toIGN.
