“The Exorcist” is headed in a brand new path. Blumhouse and Morgan Creek have tapped Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill Home”) to jot down, direct, and produce a “radical new take” on the horror franchise, and it gained’t be a sequel to the critically panned “The Exorcist: Believer” from final yr.
David Gordon Inexperienced was at first set on making a trilogy of movies that may proceed the story of the unique “Exorcist” movie, bringing again unique star Ellen Burstyn, however these sequels are not within the works, and Inexperienced exited again in January. “Believer” bombed with simply $137 million on the international field workplace after Blumhouse spent a reported $400 million to amass the franchise’s IP rights.
The brand new “Exorcist” film, for now untitled and undated, will probably be an all-new story however nonetheless set inside the “Exorcist” universe. Trevor Macy is producing for his Intrepid Photos, and Flanagan will produce for Pink Room Photos. John Scherer can also be engaged on the movie on behalf of Intrepid.
Flanagan has labored with Blumhouse three different instances, together with writing and directing “Oculus” (2013), “Hush” (2016), and “Ouija: Origin of Evil” (2016). He beforehand directed the miniseries “The Fall of the Home of Usher,” and his final characteristic was the 2019 spinoff of “The Shining” known as “Physician Sleep.” He’s presently wrapping up “The Lifetime of Chuck” based mostly on a Stephen King novella.
“’The Exorcist’ is likely one of the causes I turned a filmmaker, and it’s an honor to have the possibility to attempt one thing recent, daring, and terrifying inside its universe,” Flanagan mentioned in an announcement. Reuniting with my pals at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made a few of my favourite items of labor, solely makes this extra thrilling.”
Inexperienced directed “The Exorcist: Believer” with the hopes of doing for that franchise what he had beforehand carried out to revitalize “Halloween,” bringing again unique star Jamie Lee Curtis in telling the continued story of Michael Meyers. The opinions for the movie have been brutal, but it surely additionally didn’t assist that Taylor Swift determined to shock launch her “Eras Tour” live performance movie in theaters the day “Believer” was presupposed to open, forcing Blumhouse to shift its launch plans.
Flanagan, Macy in addition to Intrepid and Pink Room are represented by WME, with VanderKloot Regulation additionally representing Flanagan and Reder & Feig dealing with Macy.