After The Exorcist: Believer failed to relaunch the classic horror series, Blumhouse has gone back to the drawing board and announced a brand-new installment in The Exorcist franchise with director Mike Flanagan. Halloween reboot director David Gordon Green helmed Blumhouse's first stab at the beloved horror franchise in 2023, and Believer follows a duo of young girls who find themselves possessed by a demonic entity that tests the faith of their respective parents. The beleaguered horror franchise was expected to follow in the footsteps of Green's aforementioned take on Halloween.

Unfortunately for Blumhouse and Universal, The Exorcist: Believer flopped with critics despite making a ton of money at the box office. This failure made Universal nervous about continuing the planned trilogy, and the announced sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, was yanked from the schedule. The project sat in limbo for months as work went on behind the scenes to try to save the fledgling franchise, but it has now been announced that a new entry in The Exorcist franchise is in the works that will replace Deceiver entirely.

Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist Film Latest News

Mike Flanagan Promises The Scariest Movie He's Ever Made

Despite promising such a terrifying experience, Flanagan acknowledged the tremendous pressure that comes with such a sainted horror property.

Though a slew of details remain unknown about the newest attempt to resurrect the troubled horror franchise, the latest news sees Mike Flanagan discussing The Exorcist. Known as something of a modern-day horror maven, Flanagan spoke verbosely about his new take on The Exorcist, saying "I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made." Despite promising such a terrifying experience, Flanagan acknowledged the tremendous pressure that comes with such a sainted horror property.

Read Flanagan's full comments here:

We aren’t making this easy on ourselves. (Laughs.) But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring. I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add.

This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia. I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I know expectations are high. No one’s more intimidated than I am.

Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist Film Release Date

The Film Is Releasing On Friday The 13th

Considering the unlucky history of the Exorcist franchise, Blumhouse may be tempting fate by dropping a movie on a day that is considered bad luck.

Shortly after Mike Flanagan was brought on board, Blumhouse announced a release date for the directors radical new version of The Exorcist. In keeping with the franchise's chilling tone, the new movie will premiere on Friday, March 13, 2026. Considering the unlucky history of the Exorcist franchise, Blumhouse may be tempting fate by dropping a movie on a day that is considered bad luck. However, considering the critical failure of The Exorcist: Believer, things couldn't get much worse.

The Exorcist: Believer scored a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist Film Story Details

The Film Won't Be A Sequel To Believer

Though story details concerning the planned sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, were hazy at best, at least a few threads could have carried over. However, with Blumhouse's new plan to scrap their franchise and reset, it's impossible to say exactly what will happen in Mike Flanagan's new Exorcist movie. The film may take a page from Believer and tell another story involving the demon Lamashtu, or a brand-new demon could be introduced.

Blumhouse announced that Flanagan's take would be a "radical new" approach to The Exorcist, but it isn't quite clear what that approach could be. Flanagan's works often feature a rich and diverse cast of characters, and he has always excelled at giving audiences a reason to care about the people in his stories. That sort of personal connection is crucial to an entry in The Exorcist series, and it's what many of the sequels have failed to capture from the original. The franchise has consistently failed to live up to the first movie and it could be Flanagan who finally turns it around.