Hollywood Horror Alert: Scarlett Johansson Joins the Next ‘Exorcist’ Film

Scarlett Johansson is set to star in a new Exorcist movie, Deadline reports. The film will be written and directed by Mike Flanagan and produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Flanagan’s Red Room Pictures.

Johansson’s casting shows the studio is serious about giving the franchise a fresh start after the last film, The Exorcist: Believer (2023), underperformed at the box office.

Flanagan praised Johansson’s talent, 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 upcoming movie will tell an entirely new story within the Exorcist universe and is not a continuation of Believer. David Gordon Green, who directed the previous installment, stepped away from the project. Production also includes Alexandra Magistro as executive producer for Red Room Pictures, David Robinson producing for Morgan Creek, and Jason Blum and Ryan Turek as producer and executive producer for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.

The Exorcist franchise began with William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel and became famous with the 1973 film adaptation. Over the years, it has produced several prequels and sequels, though none have matched the impact of the original.

The story focuses on people possessed by the demon Pazuzu and the religious efforts to stop the possession. Overall, the films have grossed more than $661 million worldwide, and the novel has sold over 13 million copies.

After the disappointing performance of Believer, which earned $65.5 million in the U.S. and Canada and $136.2 million globally, plans for a trilogy were scrapped in favor of this reboot. Flanagan is expected to bring his signature style of suspense and horror to reimagine the franchise for a modern audience.

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