The Exorcist: Mike Flanagan Makes Major Tease for New Movie

Mike Flanagan is taking his crowd-pleasing horror formula into the world of The Exorcist, and while he still isn’t saying mucih about the movie itself, has shared with fans during a recent panel appearance that he plans to focus on character development and scares, with some of the idiosyncrasies audiences associate with a Mike Flanagan joint taking secondary priority to the fundamentals of making a good Exorcist film. Blumhouse, best known for their high concept horror franchises like The Purge and The Conjuring, will produce the film, and have tapped Flanagan as a kind of “showrunner” for the Exorcist franchise as a whole.

The original The Exorcist from filmmaker William Friedkin remains one of the most acclaimed and beloved horror movies of all time. Most of its sequels and spinoffs haven’t been received as warmly. Blumhouse’s previous effort, David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer, underperformed at the box office and was met with a mixed critical response.

During his “Monologue Case Study With Mike Flanagan” panel at ATX last week (as reported by Slashfilm), Flanagan said that the movie will “just be really scary,” with characters who are “real and emotional and relevant.”

Blumhouse had promised Universal a trilogy of Exorcist films, based on the strong performance of most of their previous output and Green’s success revitalizing Halloween. Flanagan’s new movie will allow them to keep moving forward on the franchise and fulfill their contractual obligations without being hamstrung by Believer‘s lukewarm reception.

“The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honor to have the chance to try something fresh, bold, and terrifying within its universe,” Flanagan said in a statement. “Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.”

“Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse,” Jason Blum echoed. “I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of The Exorcist and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

“It’s an honor to be working with Mike,” David Robinson, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek, added. “I think his vision for this franchise is going to stun audiences worldwide, and I could not be more excited to be working with him, Trevor, Jason and the entire Blumhouse Team.”