With all the excitement over Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Carrie series for Prime Video, you might have forgotten he’s also the point person tasked with bringing The Exorcist back to form in the wake of 2023’s forgettable The Exorcist: Believer. Now, that project has taken a huge step by casting a huge star: Scarlett Johansson.
Johansson, last seen on screen in Jurassic World Rebirth—she’s expected to return for its recently announced sequel as well—is a prolific actor who has excelled across genres, with both indie and blockbuster success. But she hasn’t made too many horror films (Under the Skin being one exception; maybe there are some 8 Legged Freaks defenders too?), meaning The Exorcist by way of Flanagan is somewhat new turf for her.
Of course, there’s no word yet on what the story of this new Exorcist will be. A press release simply notes this will be a “radical new take” on the story, which made Hollywood history thanks to William Friedkin’s 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel.
What that will look like remains to be seen, but The Exorcist has had a colorful screen history to date. The Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn-starring original is a masterpiece; the 1977 sequel is not quite a camp classic. The Exorcist III is a supernatural serial-killer thriller directed by Blatty himself, and there are two competing fourth films of varying quality that tell the same story. Plus, there was a really good TV show that ran for two seasons, and then Believer—a series low despite bringing back both Blair and Burstyn.
“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,” Flanagan said in the press release, which also (thankfully) specifies yet again that his film is not a sequel to Believer.
It will shoot in New York City, and despite earlier reports that it would be coming in 2026, that has very likely shifted. The press release did not specify a release date.
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