The Exorcist franchise is getting a makeover following the polarizing response to final 12 months’s The Exorcist: Believer.
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan will write, direct and produce what Blumhouse is describing as a “radical new take” on the franchise, one which might be set within the Exorcist universe however is not going to be a sequel to Believer.
Flanagan’s Exorcist hiring is a notable change in route that comes almost three years after Common introduced a $400 million megadeal that might permit it to make a trilogy of Exorcist movies to be helmed by David Gordon Inexperienced, the filmmaker behind Common and Blumhouse’s hit Halloween motion pictures. These plans have been placed on the shelf after Inexperienced’s Believer earned damaging evaluations and introduced in $137 million on the field workplace.
Flanagan is a prolific and revered hand within the horror world, recognized for guiding Stephen King diversifications resembling Physician Sleep and Gerald’s Sport and creating TV exhibits resembling Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill Home and The Fall of the Home of Usher. His involvement in Exorcist has been rumored for weeks after The Insneider publication reported he was eyed for the job.
“The Exorcist is without doubt 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. Reuniting with my associates at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made a few of my favourite items of labor, solely makes this extra thrilling,” stated Flanagan, who beforehand labored with the corporate as a author and director on Oculus (2013), Hush (2016) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016).
Producers on Flanagan’s new Exorcist film embody Trevor Macy on behalf of Intrepid Footage and Flanagan by way of his new Pink Room Footage banner. Intrepid’s John Scherer can be within the combine on the movie.
“Mike’s voice and imaginative and prescient are indispensable for horror followers, and we’re excited to welcome him again to Blumhouse. I instantly responded to Mike’s new tackle the world of The Exorcist and may’t anticipate audiences to expertise it,” stated Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse.
Added David Robinson, chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek, which has the rights to The Exorcist: “It’s an honor to be working with Mike. I feel his imaginative and prescient for this franchise goes to stun audiences worldwide, and I couldn’t be extra excited to be working with him, Trevor, Jason and all the Blumhouse Group.”
Flanagan’s hiring closes the door on the deliberate sequels to Believer, which introduced again Ellen Burstyn, who starred within the unique 1973 movie that’s thought of one of many best horror movies of all time. It earned 10 Oscar nominations, together with for finest image.
Flanagan, Macy, Intrepid and Pink Room are repped by WME, with VanderKloot Regulation additionally repping Flanagan and Reder & Feig dealing with Macy.