The Exorcist has defeated more filmmakers than any franchise in Hollywood. William Friedkin's 1973 original stands as one of the greatest horror films ever made. Every sequel, reboot, and revival since has been a lesson in diminishing returns.
Now Universal is trying again, this time with Mike Flanagan at the helm and Chiwetel Ejiofor recently cast in a lead role, Deadline reports.
This is Universal's course correction after David Gordon Green's 2023 trilogy faceplanted. Green had success rebooting Halloween, but The Exorcist: Believer proved that what worked for Michael Myers doesn't translate to demonic possession. The film was critically panned and underperformed, leaving Universal with a $400 million franchise investment and no clear path forward.
Enter Flanagan, the closest thing Hollywood has to a horror auteur with consistent commercial success. Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher - he's proven he can do prestige horror that actually scares people. He understands atmosphere, slow-burn dread, and how to make supernatural horror feel grounded in human pain.
If anyone can crack The Exorcist, it's him. But that's a big "if."
The franchise is arguably cursed. John Boorman's Exorcist II is one of the worst sequels ever made. William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III has cult status but bombed. The prequel went through two directors and still failed. The TV series was fine and got canceled. 's trilogy died before completion.
