Mike Flanagan Taking On The Exorcist Franchise Is My Dream Come True

Summary Mike Flanagan's past success with Blumhouse is a good sign for the Exorcist franchise reboot.

Flanagan's ability to build upon existing IPs makes him the perfect choice to revamp The Exorcist.

Fans should be excited about Flanagan's involvement, as he is a master of horror who can save the franchise.

The Exorcist franchise is heading in a new direction with Mike Flanagan at the helm, and the renowned filmmaker taking over is arguably the best decision Blumhouse Productions could have ever made. The latest (and sixth) installment in the movie series — The Exorcist: Believer — was a major letdown for the production studio as the 2023 supernatural horror film only grossed $137 million at the box office (after NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Blumhouse bought the rights from Morgan Creek for around $400 million). Additionally, The Exorcist: Believer received negative reviews from critics and fans alike (including myself).

The Exorcist: Believer is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Initially, The Exorcist: Believer was going to launch a new Exorcist trilogy, but following its failures, all plans for the two future movies were scrapped. While the film was a disappointment, it's ultimately a good thing it crashed and burned because its downfall led to Flanagan strolling in to save the Exorcist franchise. Now, the series will be rebooted with Flanagan in the director's, writer's, and producer's seat, and fans should be as excited as I am about the filmmaker's take on the iconic horror IP (and perhaps the franchise will finally produce a sequel worthy of the original movie).

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Mike Flanagan Has Already Successfully Collaborated With Blumhouse

Flanagan Directed Ouija: Origin of Evil

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Mike Flanagan is an excellent director, writer, and producer, so, on the surface level, it's a good sign for the Exorcist franchise that Blumhouse Productions hired him to take control of the next movie. However, it's also encouraging that Flanagan has successfully worked with Blumhouse in the past. The filmmaker previously collaborated with the production company on the 2016 supernatural horror film Ouija: Origin of Evil, a prequel to 2014's Ouija. Whereas the original movie was criticized for its boring story, lack of thrills, and subpar performances, Flanagan's prequel received universal praise and is considered an improvement on Ouija.

[Mike] Flanagan's reputation precedes him as he has produced numerous successful fresh takes on existing IP, from adapting Stephen King's Doctor Sleep to his take on Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.

Ouija: Origin of Evil was ten times scarier than its predecessor, its story was far more compelling, and its cast (which included some of Flanagan's frequent actors, like Kate Siegel, Lulu Wilson, and Henry Thomas) was excellent. Of course, Ouija set the bar low, but no one could disagree that Flanagan's take on the series was highly entertaining and triumphant. Plus, some critics compared Ouija: Origin of Evil to The Exorcist, which was, unknowingly at the time, foreshadowing what the future had in store for Flanagan.

Ouija: Origin of Evil Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Ouija: Origin of Evil is a 2016 prequel to the 2014 Horror film Ouija. Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, the film sees a Medium and her family using a Ouija board to attempt to contact her deceased husband. She ends up making contact with another spirit that begins to possess one of her daughters. Director Mike Flanagan Release Date October 21, 2016 Writers Mike Flanagan , Jeff Howard Cast Kate Siegel , Doug Jones , Parker Mack , Annalise Basso , Lincoln Melcher , Henry Thomas , Eve Gordon , Lin Shaye , Lulu Wilson , Elizabeth Reaser , Chelsea Gonzalez Runtime 99minutes

Flanagan Knows How To Build Upon Existing IP Like The Exorcist

Flanagan Has Experience Working With Established Franchises

According to Deadline, Mike Flanagan's Exorcist movie will be "a radical new take" on the series and if that doesn't get one excited about the upcoming reboot, I don't know what will. Flanagan's reputation precedes him as he has produced numerous successful fresh takes on existing IP, from adapting Stephen King's Doctor Sleep to his take on Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Flanagan is highly aware of how to take classic and acclaimed horror tales and turn them into captivating modern creations that feel separate from their source material. He will undoubtedly do the same with The Exorcist.

Related The Exorcist Trilogy's Problems Reveal The Harsh Truth About 2018's Big Horror Revival The future of The Exorcist's reboot trilogy looks uncertain, and it's proving the harsh truth of the 2018 horror revival that made it possible.

Mike Flanagan Has Proven He's A Master Of Horror

The Filmmaker Is Revered For His Horror Projects

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All in all, fans of The Exorcist franchise should be as thrilled as I am about Mike Flanagan's involvement in the upcoming reboot movie because he is one of the leading filmmakers in the horror genre as of late. From his award-winning Netflix show The Haunting of Hill House to Doctor Sleep, Flanagan has accomplished a lot on the big and small screen. As a result, he has become one of the most in-demand horror directors, which is likely why Blumhouse reached out to Flanagan for help rebooting The Exorcist franchise.

Flanagan doesn't need The Exorcist, but the film series surely needs him to save it from being a complete and utter failure. Yes, it's a risk for Flanagan to take on a franchise notorious for producing subpar sequels. However, he is probably the only person who can turn the ship around and create a film comparable to the legendary original Exorcist movie.

Mike Flanagan's Horror Movies & TV Shows Release Date Absentia March 3, 2011 Oculus September 5, 2013 Hush April 8, 2016 Before I Wake July 31, 2016 Ouija: Origin of Evil October 21, 2016 Gerald's Game September 29, 2017 The Haunting of Hill House October 12, 2018 Doctor Sleep October 31, 2019 The Haunting of Bly Manor October 9, 2020 Midnight Mass September 24, 2021 The Midnight Club October 7, 2022 The Fall of the House of Usher October 12, 2023

Source: Deadline