3 Things I Want to See in the Mike Flanagan Exorcist Movie
The upcoming Mike Flanagan Exorcist movie is aiming for a March 2027 release. The acclaimed horror director is promising a “radical new take” on the franchise but, at this early stage, the specifics of what he has in mind are unknown. What we do know is that this will not be a sequel or a remake. Apparently it’s a spinoff that’s set in the same universe as the original.
This series could certainly use a fresh approach. The most recent installment, Exorcist: Believer (2023), received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The revulsion from both critics and audiences led to the cancellation of two planned sequels despite decent box office numbers.
The Exorcist has never really functioned as a coherent franchise. Like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, it’s a disjointed mess of sequels and prequels that mostly ignore each other, with only one sequel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Exorcist III) eventually earning a strong following after initially being released to little fanfare.
I would have loved to see an Exorcist IV with Linda Blair and George C. Scott teaming up to fight demons, but alas it never happened. Here are three things I want to see in the upcoming Mike Flanagan Exorcist movie.
1. Generations of Terror
Generational trauma is a recurring theme in Flanagan’s work. This would fit The Exorcist like a glove. Perhaps a story about a mom who was possessed when she was a girl and overcame it, but now her young daughter is possessed?
What about Regan MacNeil? It’s unlikely that Flanagan (if interested) could convince Linda Blair to return. After appearing in the much derided The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), she has steered clear of the series except for a brief cameo in Exorcist: Believer. Besides, Flanagan has already stated this isn’t a sequel, so it’s unlikely Regan is going to show up.
Still, a mother/daughter demon possession, or something similar, could be effective, and even poignant, in Flanagan’s hands. Maybe Katie Siegel could play the mom.
2. A Contemporary Setting
The modern Catholic Church is in far different place in society than it was when The Exorcist was released. Back then, priests were often considered unreproachable pillars of society.
Numerous scandals, including many cases of child abuse, have caused major damage to the church’s image. In addition, the institution’s conservative views on social issues are increasingly out of sync with modern sensibilities.
It’d be interesting to see the Mike Flanagan Exorcist contrast the modern priesthood with the 1970s. They wear the same uniforms, and teach more or less the same values, but their place in society has changed drastically.
Flanagan already has experience with creating a compelling priest character in Midnight Mass. For The Exorcist, I’d love to see him feature a young, well meaning priest who is trying to navigate his place in the community. He could struggle with his own personal demons, such as drug addiction, that he must overcome.
3. Make demons scary again!
The first and third Exorcist movies have legitimately creepy and disturbing moments. But the rest of the series? Not so much. This is the most challenging item on my wish list due to the enormous number of demon movies that have been released over the past few decades.
Can Flanagan make demonic possession scary again? Jaded modern viewers are much more difficult to frighten than the folks that watched The Exorcist in 1973.
It’s going to take compelling characters and a fresh angle in terms of how the demon is portrayed to pull this off. Can Flanagan do it? Probably! He’s created plenty of creepy moments in his past projects.
