Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has been announced as the lead star in a new Exorcist film being developed by Blumhouse and Universal Pictures.
The 41-year-old will feature in the upcoming project directed by popular horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan, The Hollywood Reporter said.
The new film will not be a remake or a direct sequel to the 1973 classic, but it will take place in the same universe. Flanagan, who is also writing the script, said the original Exorcist was one of the films that inspired him to become a director. He promised a “fresh, bold and terrifying” take.
The announcement comes after the last instalment, The Exorcist: Believer (2023), received poor reviews despite making $136.2 million worldwide.
Universal Pictures had earlier committed $400 million to a new Exorcist trilogy, bringing back Ellen Burstyn from the original film. But after Believer underperformed, the studio decided to change direction and handed control to Flanagan in May 2024.
Flanagan is known for successful horror works such as Hush, Oculus, Gerald’s Game, Ouija: Origin of Evil and the Stephen King adaptation Doctor Sleep.
Production details, release date and Johansson’s exact role in the new film have not yet been announced.
