Meta description : Mike Flanagan is writing and directing a new Exorcist film for Blumhouse. Dates, numbers, and what his track record tells us about this high stakes revival.
Horror just got a jolt. Mike Flanagan is officially writing and directing a new film set in the world of The Exorcist for Blumhouse, Universal and Morgan Creek. The announcement landed on 20 June 2024, with industry trades describing a fresh standalone approach rather than a direct follow up to the 2023 chapter. That instantly resets expectations for one of cinema’s most loaded titles.
The context matters. Universal and Peacock paid an estimated 400 million dollars in 2021 for new Exorcist rights according to The New York Times, banking on a modern trilogy. The first film in that plan, The Exorcist : Believer, opened on 6 October 2023 and finished near 137 million dollars worldwide per Box Office Mojo, while carrying a 22 to 23 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes during its run. A reset was coming. Flanagan is that reset.
Mike Flanagan and L’Exorciste : the plan now
The new movie is described by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter as a standalone take that steps away from the path set by director David Gordon Green. No release date yet, no casting confirmed, and the story sits under wraps. What is clear is authorship. Flanagan will write, direct and produce, aligning with the approach that made his Stephen King projects and Netflix series feel cohesive.
This choice addresses a simple problem. The Exorcist carries deep cultural weight from William Friedkin’s 1973 classic. Fans expect dread, not noise. Studios need a film that works for modern audiences without leaning on nostalgia as a crutch. Flanagan’s reputation for character first horror speaks directly to that gap.
Numbers that frame the bet : box office, rights, and track record
The business side tells the story’s stakes. The New York Times reported the Exorcist pact at roughly 400 million dollars in July 2021. That valuation created pressure when Believer underperformed relative to that figure. Box Office Mojo lists Believer at about 137 million dollars worldwide. The signal was unmistakable.
There is relevant precedent in Flanagan’s own filmography. With Blumhouse and Universal, he inherited a shaky brand and turned it around with Ouija : Origin of Evil in 2016. That film took in about 81.7 million dollars worldwide on a reported 9 million dollar budget per Box Office Mojo, while Rotten Tomatoes logged a score above 80 percent. The improvement over the 2014 Ouija entry was stark and public.
He also navigated sacred ground with Doctor Sleep, released in November 2019. The film grossed about 72.3 million dollars worldwide, again per Box Office Mojo, and earned strong notices for its balance of Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick legacies. That skill set translates cleanly to The Exorcist, which demands reverence and nerve at the same time.
What changes on screen : tone, timeline, and the path to release
So what does this mean for the film we will actually watch. Trade coverage on 20 June 2024 described a new direction that is not tied to Believer’s planned arc. Expect a tonal pivot toward intimate dread, longer dramatic beats, and moral pressure on families and clergy. That is the Flanagan toolkit from The Haunting of Hill House to Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher.
On timing, the project entered development in mid 2024. Feature timelines like this often move through script, casting and pre production before cameras roll. Universal has not dated the film, and the studio’s calendar already holds existing horror franchises. Patience is part of the bargain here.
There is also the budget question. Blumhouse’s model typically emphasizes modest costs and sharp concepts, a strategy that has reduced risk across films from Paranormal Activity to Get Out. Pair that with a director who favors practical effects and grounded performances, and the creative math starts to look sensible. Not flashy. Effective.
The franchise baggage remains. The 1973 original is still one of the most successful and debated horror films ever, with decades of re releases and global grosses that grew across time. Audiences also remember less loved sequels. That history can spook newcomers and loyalists alike.
Yet the playbook is visible. Flanagan previously worked with Blumhouse and Universal, he collaborates closely with producer Trevor Macy through Intrepid Pictures, and he has a long record of literary adaptations that land with both genre fans and general audiences. The assignment is definitly daunting. The pathway is clear.
If the film leans into character stakes over spectacle, stages faith and doubt with the patience seen in Midnight Mass, and avoids continuity knots from the 2023 storyline, the Exorcist name can mean fear again rather than only legacy. That is the promise inside June’s announcement. And that is why this hire sent a chill through the industry in the best possible way.