Horror news: Scarlett Johansson to star in Blumhouse’s new take on ‘The Exorcist’
All-time leading box office actress Scarlett Johansson is set to lead the latest in a long line of Exorcist films, following 2023’s poorly received Believer.
Johansson is set to lead a ‘fresh take’ on The Exorcist, joining forces with Indie-Horror production house Blumhouse, Universal studios, and new-wave horror-maestro Mike Flanagan.
Film News Blitz’s RC Stacey reports on the scarily good news.
New ground for the iconic horror franchise
According to Deadline, there was a list of actors in talks to lead the seventh film in the franchise, but once scheduling issues were sorted, Flanagan offered the role to the 2-time Oscar nominee.
This would represent Johansson’s first foray into horror (aside from Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin in 2013).
Flanagan was quoted as saying, “Scarlett is a brilliant actress whose captivating performances always feel grounded and real, from genre films to summer blockbusters, and I couldn’t be happier to have her join this Exorcist film”.
The original, The Exorcist (1973), permanently found at the top of every top-10 scariest movies list, was based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty.
Directed by William Friedkin, it focused on the demonic possession of Regan MacNeil, and was nominated for 11 Oscars.
There have since been five follow-up films, including 2023’s faltering The Exorcist: Believer, but none have hit the lofty heights of the first.
Flanagan at the helm
Flanagan has wasted no time in making a name for himself, and fans of the beloved Exorcist franchise can take encouragement from his faithful adaptations of culturally significant horror novels and films.
This includes a slew of critically adored films and TV shows, including adaptations of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018), and Stephen King’s novel Doctor Sleep (2016) which served as a direct sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of King’s The Shining (1980).
2026 and beyond looks set to be a bumper year for Flanagan fans - not only will his TV adaptation of King’s Carrie release, but he has also penned Clayface for Peter Safran and James Gunn’s DC Universe.
The latter being a horror film based on the lesser known Batman villain of the same name.
Johansson’s recent success
Having previously starred in Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World: Rebirth alongside Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, which went on to gross over $868 million worldwide, Johansson has now become the highest-grossing actor of all time (surpassing Samuel L. Jackson)
Scarlett Johansson + Mike Flanagan sounds like an uncanny but exciting team up.
Are you excited to see what they have in store? Or would you rather the demons continue to rot…
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