Scarlett Johansson and Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist Reboot Unveils Long-Awaited Release Date

Alright horror fans, time to mark your calendars (pencils for now, just in case): Mike Flanagan and Scarlett Johansson's take on The Exorcist officially has a release date. Yes, Universal just locked it in, and yes, we're talking about a full-blown theatrical reboot—no streaming premiere, no direct-to-video vibes. Actual movie theater, actual evil spirits, actual demands that your popcorn not float involuntarily.

The Key Date (and Why It Moved)

The movie is (finally) scheduled to hit theaters on March 12, 2027. That's a spring break slot, so expect lots of skittish college kids in hoodies for this one. If that feels far away, you're not wrong—the film was originally aiming for March 13, 2026. But Universal kicked it down the road by a full year, reportedly to give Flanagan and company enough breathing room to get it right.

Not Your Mom's (or 2023's) Exorcist

Couple things to clear up here, because the franchise timeline is surprisingly messy:

• This reboot is being called a "radical redo" by Universal. It has zero connection to The Exorcist: Believer (that was the 2023 film that made a decent $136 million but pleased basically no one).
• New story, new exorcisms, no legacy characters—this isn't part two or part seven or whatever. Basically: wipe the slate clean.
• Scarlett Johansson and Jacobi Jupe are leading the cast. Jupe you might recognize from Honey Boy and A Quiet Place.

Timeline of the Big Franchise Deal

Bit of an industry backstory here (the money is wild):

Universal, Peacock, and Blumhouse splurged about $400 million to buy the rights to The Exorcist from Morgan Creek back in 2021. That purchase included plans for a new trilogy. The first chapter was Believer. Now Flanagan's film is up, but it isn't a direct sequel, which is more of a divergence than most big franchises try these days.

Who's Actually Making This Thing?

Mike Flanagan is running the show. If you've watched Doctor Sleep, The Fall of the House of Usher, or Midnight Mass, you know the guy can actually deliver grown-up scares—none of that PG-13 slumber party stuff. And he's no stranger to working with Blumhouse; remember Oculus, Hush, and Ouija: Origin of Evil? Same talent, bigger budget.

Behind the scenes, there's an army: Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Flanagan's own Red Room Pictures are all producing. The all-important "producer" credit goes to David Robinson, Jason Blum (of course), and Flanagan himself. Alexandra Magistro and Ryan Turek are executive producers—the industry types who make things happen but rarely get to cameo.

How We Got Here: A Quick Franchise Recap

Just in case you need a catchup: The original Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, pretty much invented the modern possession flick and set box office records way back in 1973. Hollywood has never really stopped trying to recreate that lightning-in-a-bottle moment—but with this reboot, it's not even pretending to be a direct continuation of the classic, which, honestly, might be for the best at this point.

The Takeaway

So, for those keeping score: we've got a mega-budget horror reboot, a director who knows his way around a scary story, Scarlett Johansson dabbling in exorcism (didn't see that coming), and—for now—a release date with zero blockbuster competition unless you count Sony's animated film Buds.

I'll just say it: if this movie actually sticks the landing, maybe we'll finally get a modern Exorcist that's worth the $400 million Universal dropped on the whole franchise. Mark March 12, 2027, and hope those demons don't reschedule.