Mike Flanagan is hoping to make ‘the scariest movie I’ve ever done’ with new ‘Exorcist’

Mike Flanagan was excited to dive into this established franchise.

By Joe Allen Published September 6, 2024

The Exorcist — Warner Bros.

Since emerging as a director worth watching roughly a decade ago, Mike Flanagan has proven that he knows how to be thoughtful and terrifying at the same time. Through movies like Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game as well as Netflix TV shows like The Hunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, Flanagan has proven that he’s one of the most interesting voices working in horror today.

Flanagan’s next project will be a take on the Exorcist franchise, and the director is now promising that it will be the scariest thing he’s ever done.

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In speaking with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his movie Life of Chuck (which is not a horror movie), Flanagan was asked about his Exorcist reboot and said “We aren’t making this easy on ourselves,” before continuing. “But 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. 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.”

Flanagan is promising a “radical new take” on the franchise with his film, which is set to be released in 2026. “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,” Flanagan concluded.

Whether the movie itself can actually live up to that hype is a question that can only be answered once the movie has hit theaters.

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Joe Allen is a freelance culture writer based in upstate New York. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The…

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