Scarlett Johansson is set to lead the cast of an upcoming reboot of The Exorcist franchise – which is being written and directed by horror favourite Mike Flanagan.
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As first reported by Deadline, the star – who recently helped relaunch another major movie series with Jurassic World Rebirth – was seen as the "perfect fit" to revive the franchise following the critical and commercial failure of previous instalment The Exorcist: Believer in 2023.
This new film will not follow on from the events of that earlier entry, but will instead be a completely new story set in the Exorcist universe, with no specific details unveiled as yet.
"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," Flanagan said of Johansson's casting.
Scarlett Johansson.
In total this will be the seventh film in the Exorcist series and the second since NBCUniversal, Peacock and Blumhouse spent $400 million to acquire the rights to the series back in 2021.
Flanagan is perhaps best known for his small screen work, having helmed a number of hit Netflix shows includes the Hauntings of Hill House and Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher. However, he has also directed a number of feature films, including the Stephen King adaptations Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep and most recently, The Life of Chuck.
Meanwhile, this will be Johansson's first time starring in a mainstream horror role, although her acclaimed role in Jonathan Glazer's 2013 film Under the Skin did include horror elements.
The Black Widow star recently made the move behind the camera with her directorial debut Eleanor the Great, while other recent roles include romcom Fly Me to the Moon and the Wes Anderson films Asteroid City and The Phoenecian Scheme.
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
