Some tea about Mike Flanagan’s upcoming ‘Exorcist’ reboot, which we now know will star Scarlett Johansson. The film, which starts shooting February 23, is Blumhouse’s attempt to put this franchise back on track.
The current title, I can confirm, via production listing, is “The Exorcist: Martyrs,” and Johansson is set to play a small-town “rookie detective” who takes on a case involving “inconceivable darkness.”
That’s the synopsis that’s internally circulating. The film seems to have no connection to the previous instalments; it’s a fresh new concept that Flanagan purposely sought to distance from franchise lore.
Last year, Flanagan, hopped on-board to direct two ‘Exorcist’ movies. Blumhouse initially set a March 2026 release for Flanagan’s ‘Exorcist,’ but the film was then quietly pulled from the schedule earlier this summer. There is currently no new release date set.
Flanagan reportedly was given “total creative freedom” on this next chapter of the franchise. Universal and Blumhouse are counting on him to steady the Exorcist brand and push it back into fighting shape after the David Gordon Green-directed disaster.
If you recall, back in 2023, Green called it quits on the franchise and decided to sign on to a couple of indies instead. After the poor reception of his “Exorcist: Believer,” there had been reporting that a creative overhaul would be done for the next two films, this after Green had expressed doubts about his future participation.
Blumhouse owes Universal two ‘Exorcist’ movies in their contract. The studio shelled out a $400M investment for the rights to the franchise. “Exorcist: Believer” was panned by both critics (22% on RT) and audiences (“C” CinemaScore) and ended up only grossing $136M.
The Exorcist franchise has grown to six films, with Flanagan’s being number seven. While the series has had its highs and lows, the original 1973 classic remains untouchable in the eyes of most. “The Exorcist III” earned a dedicated cult following, but the rest of the sequels have largely been seen in a negative light.
Following “Air,” this is Affleck’s latest stint behind the camera. He has cast himself in the lead role, alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”).