"The Exorcist" Trilogy Canceled: Mike Flanagan Set to Direct a New Take

“The Exorcist” universe will continue to expand thanks to “Doctor Sleep” visionary Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan has been tapped to write, direct, and produce what’s described as a “radical new take” on “The Exorcist” for Blumhouse and Morgan Creek.

“’The Exorcist’ is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honor to have the chance to try something fresh, bold, and terrifying within its universe,” Flanagan said. “Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.”

The new “Exorcist” movie will be produced by longtime collaborators Trevor Macy (on behalf of Intrepid Pictures) and Flanagan (via his new Red Room Pictures banner). John Scherer will also be working on the film on behalf of Intrepid. 

This film marks the fourth collaboration for Flanagan and Blumhouse; he wrote and directed 2013’s “Oculus,” 2016’s “Hush”, and 2016’s “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” which were all also produced by Macy.

To note, Flanagan’s movie is an all-new story, not a sequel to 2023’s “The Exorcist: Believer,” which was helmed by David Gordon Green. 

Green had planned to helm a trilogy of “Exorcist” movies, with a sequel “The Exorcist: Deceiver” scheduled to hit theaters in 2025, but he exited the franchise in January after “Believer” grossed $137 million globally, yet underperformed with critics.