Blumhouse may have done something right following the chaos and uncertainty that came after the tone-deaf The Exorcist: Believer failed to capture any of that magic of David Gordon Green’s Halloween movies.
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Deadline reports that Doctor Sleep director and creator of Midnight Mass Mike Flanagan has signed on to direct the next Exorcist film for Blumhouse in tandem with Morgan Creek.
The report adds that the new film will not be a sequel to Believer or continuing plans for a trilogy. Flanagan will be helming a “radical new take” disconnected from both of those things.
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According to a press release, it’s “an all-new story set in The Exorcist universe and is not a sequel to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.” Flanagan will also co-produce through his company Red Room Pictures alongside Intrepid Pictures.
“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. Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting,” said Flanagan.
The director previously wrote and helmed the thrillers Hush, Oculus, and the supernatural prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil based on the ‘game’ that led to young and innocent Regan MacNeil’s possession in the first film.
“Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse. I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of The Exorcist and can’t wait for audiences to experience it,” added Jason Blum for Blumhouse.
“It’s an honor to be working with Mike. 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,” said Morgan Creek Chairman David Robinson.
In 2021, Morgan Creek sold the Exorcist rights to Blumhouse and NBCUniversal for a whopping $400 million. That proved to be a costly gamble when Exorcist: Believer bombed massively and caused David Gordon Green to depart from future films.
Blumhouse may save face and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat now that Flanagan is involved, but we’ll see.