Despite the failure of The Exorcist: Believer, Universal, Blumhouse and director Mike Flanagan have compelled horror fans to give the horror franchise one more chance by enlisting Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, Jurassic World Rebirth) to lead a new movie, and production is now underway.
Flanagan recently took to social media to share a first look at the movie's official logo (see below), and some set photos have now provided a first glimpse of the main cast members.
The photos feature Johansson alongside co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sasha Calle and Rahul Kohli. Though we don't have any context for what is being filmed, the badges worn by Johansson and Calle suggest they are playing detectives, while Kholi's character is quite obviously a police officer.
If most of the protagonists are cops, there's a good chance this Exorcist story will focus more on the police investigation into the possession than those plagued by the demons or the clergy's attempts to cast the evil spirit out.
Check out the photos at the links below.
Though plot details are still under wraps, this new movie is said to be a full reboot, and will not be a continuation of The Exorcist: Believer. The 2023 release proved to be a massive disappointment for fans of William Friedkin's masterpiece, but it did actually end up performing pretty well at the box office. Whether this movie will turn out to have any ties at all to the original remains to be seen.
Flanagan's most recent project was Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck, and he has previously helmed the likes of The Fall of the House of Usher Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game, Ouija: Origin of Evil, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
This guy rarely misses, so fingers crossed he'll be able to get this franchise back on track.
"I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring," Flanagan said back in 2024. "I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add. This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia. I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I know expectations are high. No one’s more intimidated than I am."