William Friedkin’s The Exorcist was one of the few horror movies that managed to keep its viewers up late at night, tucked in the safety of their blankets. If they needed a glass of water and that clock was past midnight, they would just have to wait till the sun was up to quench their thirst. A true horror film in all its glory! And now, director Mike Flanagan will be taking on the responsibility of taking the franchise a step forward.
The Exorcist has had quite a few sequels to date, 5 to be exact. Unfortunately, none of them had an impact on their audience like the O.G. The franchise also produced a television series, The Exorcist, which did well. Coming back to the movies, one failed sequel after the other slowly extinguished the fans’ hopes, and they gave up on the franchise altogether. But it looks like with Mike Flanagan’s involvement, there’s renewed optimism among horror enthusiasts.
Mike Flanagan Promises a New Take on The Exorcist
After the disappointment that was The Exorcist: The Believer (2023), Mike Flanagan is planning to revamp the franchise and breathe some life into it as he has been confirmed to direct the new sequel. The powerhouse of a man will also write and produce the film.
With films like The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Doctor Sleep (2019), Flanagan has proven time and again that he is the one who can save the horror genre and bring it out of the mess it currently is in. He has joined hands with Blumhouse Productions to bring his version of the story to life.
According to Blumhouse (via The Hollywood Reporter), the upcoming sequel will be a “radical new take” on the franchise. While it will be set in the same universe, it will not be a sequel to The Believer and will instead do its own thing.
Flanagan opened up about his involvement in the film, stating that William Firedkin’s The Exorcist was one of the reasons why he got into filmmaking in the first place. He said,
The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honor to have the chance to try something fresh, bold and terrifying within its universe. Reuniting with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I’ve made some of my favorite pieces of work, only makes this more exciting.
Flanagan has previously worked with Blumhouse on Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016). He served as the director, writer, and editor on all three of these masterpieces. The apple/light bulb scene is still imprinted in our minds, which just proves that Flanagan does not mess around when it comes to the horror genre.
Fans Are Willing to Give The Exorcist Another Chance
The previous five sequels were a disappointment for horror enthusiasts, but no one was more upset than Friedkin himself. In fact, when he saw Exorcist II: The Heretic, he had no positive remarks for the film. On The Movies That Made Me podcast, the late filmmaker said,
It’s the worst piece of sh— I’ve ever seen. It’s a f—ing disgrace… That’s the worst 40 minutes of film I have ever seen, really, and that’s saying a lot.
Clearly, Friedkin was not impressed. However, given Flanagan’s track record, we believe that the next sequel will make the O.G. director proud!
There is once again excitement about a horror film, and it is all thanks to Flanagan. After learning that he is attached to the project, fans were more than happy to give the franchise another chance.
Here’s what they said about Flanagan’s attachment to the sequel:
The radical new take is that this one will be good.
— ＣΛＴΞＳ (@WillCates44) May 29, 2024
I'm actually looking forward to this
— Havoc Dumbster (@imDumbster) May 29, 2024
I'm cautiously optimistic about this. Mike Flanagan has done some solid work before, especially with horror.
— Natalie May (@babenataliemay) May 29, 2024
ugh i hate exorcism movies but unfortunately i love mike flanagan more. SO i will be seated
— tess (@tesslikescatz) May 29, 2024
If anyone can do it, it’s Mike Flanagan.
— FilmZone (@AMovieTruth) May 29, 2024
Flanagan and Blumhouse are a match made in heaven (or hell, given that the films are straight out of our nightmares). And just like the fans, we, too, have a feeling the horror boss won’t let us down! We simply can’t wait to see the magic he whips up now.
The Exorcist is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
