Mike Flanagan’s New Exorcist Thriller Adds Jacobi Jupe Alongside Scarlett Johansson

Universal and Peacock spent a jaw-dropping chunk of change to reboot The Exorcist, then watched the first swing land with a thud. Now the franchise is in Mike Flanagan's hands, Scarlett Johansson is leading it, and a rising young actor just climbed aboard. Yes, this saga has been messy. Here is where things stand and what is actually happening.

How we got here

• Universal and Peacock paid roughly $400 million for a three-movie Exorcist package tied to Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who had just delivered a Halloween trilogy for the same team.
• Green's first entry, The Exorcist: Believer, hit theaters in October 2023. It earned $137 million on a $30 million budget, which is fine on paper but far shy of what Universal wanted, and the response was largely negative.
• A sequel titled The Exorcist: Deceiver had a script ready and was dated for April 18, 2025, with a third film already sketched out. After Believer underperformed with audiences and critics, Deceiver was shelved and Green exited.
• Last year, writer-director-producer Mike Flanagan took over with what was described as a 'radical new take.' The film will not make its previously announced March 13, 2026 release date, but it is moving forward.

The new cast

Recently, Scarlett Johansson signed on to star. Now Deadline says she will be joined by Jacobi Jupe, a young actor getting buzz for playing the title role in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet. You may have also seen him in the psychological thriller miniseries Before, David Lowery's Peter Pan and Wendy, and the Amazon-Epix series Britannia.

Character specifics are locked down, but the prevailing guess is that Jupe could be playing Johansson's son. That is not confirmed.

What we actually know vs. what we are hearing

Official plot details are under wraps. Flanagan is building this as his own thing rather than trying to patch over the last film, which frankly is the smartest move.

There are some industry rumors floating around, so sprinkle salt as needed. Jeff Sneider reported that the studio wanted a capital-M Movie Star at the center. Flanagan reportedly reached out to Angelina Jolie, and Universal also took the temperature on Charlize Theron. In the end, they went with Johansson, who already has a relationship with the studio through its Jurassic World revival and the Sing movies.

World of Reel also claimed the working title might be The Exorcist: Martyrs and floated a possible angle for Johansson's role:

'a small-town rookie detective who takes on a case involving inconceivable darkness.'

Again, that is unverified. And if the shortlist was skewing toward actors in their 40s and 50s, that would be one very late-in-life rookie. We will see what the official logline says when the studio decides to share it.

Who is making it

The film is coming from Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Flanagan's Red Room Pictures. David Robinson is producing for Morgan Creek. Jason Blum is producing and Ryan Turek is executive producing for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster. Alexandra Magistro is an executive producer for Red Room.

Timing and location

The movie will not hit the previously staked-out March 13, 2026 slot, but it is actively in gear. Filming is expected to take place in New York next year.

Bottom line: Flanagan steering The Exorcist with Johansson and Jupe is a genuinely interesting course correction. If they stick the landing, Universal might finally get the movie they thought they were buying the first time.