©On the set of Ouija: Origin of Evil

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan is reportedly discussing plans with Universal and Blumhouse to direct a sequel to The Exorcist. David Gordon Green had originally been tapped for that role but he withdrew from the project after directing The Exorcist: Believer, the first installment in a planned trilogy.

Insiders report that talks are only in the very preliminary stages, and nothing has been confirmed by the studios.

The Exorcist: Believer debuted in October of 2023 with an appearance by Ellen Burstyn, who had been seen in William Friedkin’s original Exorcist back in 1973, based on the novel and screenplay by William Blatty. The storyline for Believer focused on the experiences of two girls who disappear into the woods for three days, with implications of demonic activity. Though it grossed $137 million globally on a $30 million budget, the 2023 film was panned by critics, and Universal cancelled plans to debut the second movie in the trilogy, The Exorcist: Deceiver, which was originally slated for release in April of 2025.

 

Mike Flanagan was born in Salem, Massachusetts, site of the celebrated witch trials of 1692, which left an impression on the young man and undoubtedly whetted his interest in the supernatural. Flanagan’s directorial profile includes several films in the horror genre, such as Ouija: Origin of Evil, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Flanagan also helmed the 2019 Warner Brothers feature Doctor Sleep, a sequel to Stephen King’s The Shining. Most recently, he wrote and directed another King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, a yet-unreleased title starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, among others. Flanagan also has a deal with Amazon to adapt Stephen King’s The Dark Tower as a television series, which he’s developing with Trevor Macy.

Universal acquired rights to The Exorcist franchise from Morgan Creek in 2021 for $400 million.

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