Marvel and Jurassic World star Scarlett Johansson has been tapped to star in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming adaptation of horror cinema classic The Exorcist. The film is Blumhouse and Universal’s latest attempt to revive the franchise following the companies’ panned The Exorcist: Believer, released in 2023.

Flanagan wrote the script and is both directing and producing the new feature. The filmmaker has previously made clear that his take on the iconic IP will be neither a remake nor a sequel, but set in the Exorcist “universe”.

The original film, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin, centred on the demonic possession of a young girl and the priests who tried to free her. The various follow-ups mostly featured stories focused on the grown-up girl, the priests’ backstories, or other demonic cases the detectives from the first film had investigated.

“The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honour to have the chance to try something fresh, bold and terrifying within its universe,” said Flanagan of his involvement when it was announced in May 2024.

Flanagan, who is known for directing Stephen King adaptations such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game as well as creating series like Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, is producing via his Red Room Pictures banner. David Robinson is producing for Morgan Creek Entertainment, while Jason Blum and Ryan Turek serve as producer and executive producer, respectively, for Blumhouse.

Johansson was recently seen leading Jurassic World: Rebirth, and made her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great.