Many fans don’t remember that the “legacy” sequel to The Exorcist was released last year, which is not surprising, as The Following only grossed $136 million worldwide; a respectable number for a horror film, but not for The Exorcist, especially after spending $400 million to acquire the rights. The film was also panned by most critics and horror fans. Blumhouse is well aware of its missed opportunity, as it has now abandoned plans for a sequel trilogy and turned to horror master Mike Flanagan for help.
The news was announced on May 29, according to Deadline, and Flanagan himself confirmed the news on social media. According to the filmmaker, his take on the long-running (and mostly disappointing) film franchise will be “fresh, bold, and terrifying.” If anyone can pull that off right now, it’s probably him.
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Blumhouse Films boss Jason Blum, who originally tapped David Gordon Green to adapt The Exorcist following the underwhelming trilogy, expressed his excitement: “Mike’s voice and perspective are essential to horror fans, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to Blumhouse Films. I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on The Exorcist world and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.” There’s a good chance he’s made the right call (or at least a better one) this time around.
In addition to Blumhouse, the new installment will be produced by Trevor Macy (Oculus) on behalf of Intrepid Pictures, and Flanagan himself will produce through his new Red Room Pictures. Plot details are currently under wraps, but those familiar with Flanagan’s work know that he is good at delivering traditional horror thrillers while also getting great performances from his actors and giving us more than a few unexpected surprises in each story. In addition to his excellent Netflix series like The Haunting and Midnight Mass, he has already released a sequel that no one thought would be great: Doctor Sleep (a sequel to The Shining).
Flanagan is currently deep in post-production on Chuck’s Life , an adaptation of Stephen King’s novella included in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds , and recently joined Chris Starkman’s feature debut Shelby Oaks as an executive producer.
