One of the go-to voices in modern horror, Mike Flanagan hopes his Exorcist movie can set a new bar for himself.
What an excellent day for another Exorcist…Or is it? For a second there we thought David Gordon Green had killed the franchise for good after last year’s disastrous The Exorcist: Believer. And while his intended trilogy was axed and he was removed from any future projects in the series, it has already been resurrected courtesy of Mike Flanagan. And Flanagan has big plans for his Exorcist film.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Flanagan said he has a lot of goals with his yet-to-be-titled The Exorcist entry – and one of them is to make it as scary as possible. “We aren’t making this easy on ourselves…But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring. I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add.” Flanagan next teased that his Exorcist movie will be something fresh – and much needed. “This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia. I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I know expectations are high. No one’s more intimidated than I am.”
But as we don’t need to point out again, expectations are high because it’s the admittedly intimidated director – not because it’s an Exorcist film. Let’s face it, the franchise isn’t exactly packed with stellar installments. Obviously William Friedkin’s original has never been topped and 1990’s The Exorcist III – directed by author William Peter Blatty himself – has a loyal following. You might like some of the other installments, but they really pale in comparison. With that, based on what he has done with other properties (chiefly of the literary variety) Mike Flanagan is just the right guy who can do something interesting – and, yes, scary – with The Exorcist series.
What do you expect Mike Flanagan to bring to The Exorcist? Does the project seem promising or is it time to stick a crucifix in the franchise? Pour some pea soup and let us know below!
