Scarlett Johansson to Lead Mike Flanagan’s “Radical” ‘Exorcist’ Remake

Scarlett Johansson to Lead Mike Flanagan’s “Radical” ‘Exorcist’ Remake Scarlett Johansson on the red carpetImage via Marion Curtis/StarPix for Sony Pictures Classics/INSTARimages By  Rob London Published 17 minutes ago A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation." An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account. Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Mike Flanagan has taken the reins of The Exorcist franchise, and his new film is now in possession of its star. Scarlett Johansson, who recently topped the box office charts with Jurassic World: Rebirth, is set to take the lead role in the new horror film. It will be the first entry in the long-running horror series since The Exorcist: Believer disappointed critics and audiences in 2023.

Says Flanagan, "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." It will be a rare detour into horror for the star: she appeared in the giant-arachnid horror comedy Eight Legged Freaks as a teenager, and more recently starred as a man-hunting alien in human disguise in Jonathan Glazer's minimalist science fiction chiller Under the Skin in 2013. Certainly, Jurassic World: Rebirth had some strong horror elements, as well, as it pitted Johansson's intrepid crew of adventurers against a particularly twisted genetic dino-disaster known as the Distortus rex. So far, little is known about Flanagan's venture into the world of demonic possession, but it is said to be a "radical" new take on the universe of the original 1973 film.

What Is 'The Exorcist' Franchise About?

1973's The Exorcist, which was directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, concerned the possession of a young girl, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), by the demonic Pazuzu. With her mother (Ellen Burstyn) helpless to do anything, two priests, Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Father Karras (Jason Miller) are called in to perform the titular exorcism. A massive critical and financial hit upon its release, The Exorcist was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and is still considered one of the most frightening motion pictures ever made. However, it has proved difficult to recapture that magic. John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic was laughed off the screen in 1977; an attempt to make a prequel in the early 2000s resulted in two movies, neither of them good; and the aforementioned Believer struck out at the box office and with critics despite the presence of Burstyn, Blair, and David Gordon Green, who revived the similarly moribund Halloween franchise. Only The Exorcist III, which Blatty both directed and wrote, has managed to break Pazuzu's curse and achieve a cult following.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

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