Mike Flanagan's Exorcist movie has found its lead, with Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson officially joining the possession pic from Blumhouse, James Wan's Atomic Monster, and Morgan Creek Entertainment for Universal Pictures.
Little is known about the upcoming Exorcist from Hill House and Midnight Mass maestro Flanagan, but an official press release tells us that the horror feature will tell an all-new story set in universe of The Exorcist novel by William Peter Blatty, and William Friedkin's iconic 1973 adaptation, and is not a sequel to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer from David Gordon Green, which didn't go down too well with horror fans back in 2023.
No word yet either on who Johansson, most recently seen in this year's dino blockbuster Jurassic World: Rebirth, will play, but as this is a new story, don't expect her to show up as Chris or Regan MacNeil (or Pazuzu, although we'd pay good money to see that.)
Johansson has dabbled in horror a few times throughout her storied career, notably in 2002's Eight Legged Freaks and Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin from 2013. Here's what Flanagan has to say about her joining his new take on the classic exorcism tale:
“Scarlett is a brilliant actress whose captivating performances always feel grounded and real, from genre films to summer blockbusters, and I couldn’t be happier to have her join this Exorcist film,”
In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Flanagan spoke more about what will make his take on The Exorcist unique, and truly scary:
“We aren’t making this easy on ourselves. (Laughs.) But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring. I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add. This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia. I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I know expectations are high. No one’s more intimidated than I am.”
Flanagan's Exorcist is currently set for release on March 13, 2026. Watch this space for updates, and in the meantime, here's all the monster movies we're looking forward to in 2026.
