Universal Pictures and Peacock forked over an amount somewhere in the range of $400 million to acquire the rights to distribute a trilogy of sequels to the 1973 classic The Exorcist, which were going to be another collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and director David Gordon Green (who previously delivered a trilogy of Halloween sequels for Blumhouse and Universal). By the time Green’s first Exorcist movie, The Exorcist: Believer, reached theatres in October of 2023, the script for a sequel titled The Exorcist: Deceiver, which was scheduled for an April 18, 2025 theatrical release, was ready and the story of the third film was mapped out… Believer‘s box office numbers were okay, the movie pulled in $137 million on a $30 million budget, but Universal was hoping for a lot better than “okay,” and the reactions were largely negative. (You can read our 4/10 review HERE.) So the plans for The Exorcist: Deceiver were set aside and Green left the project. Last year, it was announced that the Exorcist sequel had been passed over to writer/director/producer Mike Flanagan, who was said to be working on a “radical new take” on the franchise. A March 13, 2026 release date was announced… but Flanagan’s Exorcist movie still hasn’t made it into production, and he has now admitted that there’s “no way” it’s going to be released next March.
When he first landed the job, Flanagan provided the following statement: “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.” Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse, added, “Mike’s voice and vision are indispensable for horror fans, and we are excited to welcome him back to Blumhouse. I immediately responded to Mike’s new take on the world of The Exorcist and can’t wait for audiences to experience it.” David Robinson, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Creek, which has the rights to the franchise, said, “It’s an honor to be working with Mike. I think his vision for this franchise is going to stun audiences worldwide, and I could not be more excited to be working with him, Trevor, Jason and the entire Blumhouse Team.“
This week, Flanagan was asked by a worried fan on Tumblr if his Exorcist movie is still on track and aiming for the March release date. He replied, “Production hasn’t started, we need to finish Carrie first. No way it’s coming out next March. Nothing to worry about though.“
As Flanagan mentioned, he is currently busy working on an eight-episode series adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie for Prime Video. His King adaptation The Life of Chuck reaches theatres on June 6th, and he’s a developing a Prime Video based on King’s Dark Tower saga. He also wrote the initial screenplay for the upcoming film based on the DC Comics character Clayface.
Are you disappointed to hear that Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist sequel won’t be released in March? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
