Mike Flanagan, who previously tackled Stephen King adaptations ‘Gerald’s Game’ and ‘Doctor Sleep,’ is writing and will direct the feature film.
Jacobi Jupe and Scarlett Johansson
Alberto Pezzali; Jerod Harris/Getty Images
Jacobi Jupe, currently starring in one of this award season’s top contenders, Hamnet, will star opposite Scarlet Johansson in Blumhouse and Universal’s latest take on The Exorcist.
Mike Flanagan wrote the script and is directing what the companies are describing as a “fresh, bold” iteration on the supernatural horror title, which follows the companies’ ill-fated effort to launch a franchise with 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer. The companies say the new outting is neither a remake nor a sequel.
The original Exorcist, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin, focused on the demonic possession of a young girl and the priests that try to save her. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars. The various follow-ups mostly featured stories centered on the girl (now grown-up), the back stories of the priests or other demonic cases detectives from the first movie investigated.
Principal photography for Exorcist is due to begin March in New York. Plot details are being kept in the fog but it is believed that Jupe will be playing Johansson’s son.
Flanagan, who is known for directing Stephen King adaptations such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game as well as creating TV shows such as 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.
Jupe, who is the brother of A Quiet Place actor Noah Jupe, stars as the titular character in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet alongside Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. The movie has emerged as one of the most acclaimed movies of the year and is now a top award contender. For his performance, Jupe has been nominated for the London Film Critics Circle in the category of young British/Irish performer of the year and also received a Critics Choice Award nomination for best young actor.
Last year, Jacobi starred opposite Billy Crystal in the Apple+ psychological thriller mini-series Before and played Michael Darling opposite Jude Law in Peter Pan and Wendy, which David Lowery director for Disney+. He will next be seen in horror thriller Victorian Psycho with Maika Monroe.
Jacobi is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Group, Hansen Jacobson and UK’s Independent Talent Group.
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