It’s been a killer time to be an Exorcist fan with modern horror icon Mike Flanagan announced as the franchise director last month. While horror fans are still waiting for plot details for the next sequel in this historic spooky franchise, Flanagan’s version will be a “radical new take” on the Exorcist brand. Now, Flanagan’s Exorcist has a terrifying release date of March 13, 2026.
Coming via Universal Pictures, this isn’t the first time Exorcist has tried to take over Friday the 13th. The last film, David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer’s original release date was October 13 last year before Taylor Swift made them move up their date a week. Believer was set to be the beginning of a new trilogy not too dissimilar to Universal and Blumhouse’s Halloween films. However, very poor critical reception and disappointing box office returns stopped the legacy sequel’s story in its tracks. Green was also originally intended to direct both follow-up nightmares, but this haunting chain of events is what lead to Flanagan joining the reworked next installment.
A Match Made in Horror Heaven
The Exorcist is a franchise that has seen a lot of ups and downs in the last five decades. The original film directed by the late-great William Friedkin is still considered one the scariest films ever made while its first sequel, The Heretic is widely considered as one the worst second parts of a horror series. However, Flanagan is the perfect filmmaker to take up the demonic mantle because his resume is one of the most unique of the current genre. Films like Oculus and TV shows like Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House/ Bly Manor have shown that no one can tell a traumatizing ghost story quite like Flanagan. Then, at the same time, films like the underrated Ouija: Origin of Evil and Doctor Sleep have shown the director’s great ability to work his devilish magic within the restrictions of an established franchise . That’s why it’ll be incredibly exciting to see what Flangan has instore for Exorcist. The director also has his next Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, which will be debuting at The Toronto Film Festival later this year.
While horror fans wait for Flanagan’s Exorcist, you can rent the original film on all major VOD platforms while The Exorcist: Believer is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Flanagan has previously expressed his excitement joining the franchise saying, “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.”
via Collider