By MICHAEL GINGOLD
And it won’t be a direct sequel to EXORCIST: BELIEVER.
Blumhouse and Morgan Creek have confirmed the recent reports that Mike Flanagan, the director behind DOCTOR SLEEP, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER and many others, will take the helm of their new EXORCIST movie. He’ll also script and produce, the latter through his new Red Room Pictures banner, alongside his longtime producer Trevor Macy of Intrepid Pictures. Described as an all-new story and “a radical new take” on the subject, this will be Flanagan’s fourth collaboration with Blumhouse, following OCULUS, HUSH and OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL. It will be unrelated to Blumhouse and David Gordon Green’s previous THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, which opened last year to underwhelming reviews and box office.
“THE EXORCIST is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker,” Flanagan says, “and it is an honor to have the chance to try something fresh, bold, and terrifying within its universe. Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.”
“Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse,” says the company’s founder and CEO Jason Blum. “I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of THE EXORCIST and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”
“It’s an honor to be working with Mike,” says David Robinson, chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek. “I think his vision for this franchise is going to stun audiences worldwide, and I could not be more excited to be working with him, Trevor, Jason and the entire Blumhouse team.”
