Mike Flanagan Can Save The Horror Genre In 2027 - But There's A Catch

Mike Flanagan has a couple of horror projects coming up in the near future, and he could save the genre in 2027, but there’s a big catch. Mike Flanagan has become one of the modern masters of horror, with some of his works now ranking among the best horror TV shows of all time and some of the best horror movies ever, too.

Mike Flanagan has done both original works, like Oculus, and adaptations, such as his Stephen King movies. Among Flanagan’s upcoming projects are a TV adaptation of Carrie and a new Exorcist movie, the latter projected for a 2027 release, and through which he can save the horror genre, but there’s a big challenge to overcome.

Mike Flanagan's Exorcist Movie Releases In 2027

The success of William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist spawned a franchise, but none of the subsequent movies reached the same success and quality as the first movie. In 2023, the franchise was rebooted with The Exorcist: Believer, directed by David Gordon Green, which served as a direct sequel to Friedkin’s movie.

Despite its potential and all the anticipation around it, The Exorcist: Believer was a big disappointment and a critical failure, though it succeeded at the box office. The plan was for Believer to be the beginning of a new Exorcist trilogy, but its failure led to the cancellation of those plans.

In 2024, it was announced that the Exorcist franchise was taking a new path with Mike Flanagan on board to direct, write, and produce. Flanagan’s Exorcist movie was originally planned for a 2026 release, but Flanagan revealed in June 2025 that production would not start until he’s done with Carrie, and so it was moved to 2027.

How Mike Flanagan's Exorcist Movie Connects To The Franchise

The sequel to The Exorcist: Believer was The Exorcist: Deceiver, which was planned for a 2025 release. The cancellation of the plans for a reboot trilogy of The Exorcist included Deceiver, meaning that Mike Flanagan’s movie isn’t Deceiver, but a completely different movie set within this universe.

Plot details about Flanagan’s Exorcist movie are currently unknown, but in November 2025, Scarlett Johansson was cast in an undisclosed role, with Hamnet’s Jacobi Jupe joining the cast a month later.

Mike Flanagan's Exorcist Movie Has Big Challenges To Overcome

As great as Mike Flanagan is as a horror writer and director, and has proven to be able to fit a franchise (like The Shining with Doctor Sleep, for example), he has a huge challenge ahead with his Exorcist movie. Flanagan is entering a franchise started by what’s still regarded as the best horror movie of all time, and where no sequel has been good.

I don’t doubt that Flanagan will make a great Exorcist movie, through which he will save the horror genre – which, even though it has had some big wins recently with movies like Sinners and Weapons, is still in need of a movie that can reignite a spark – but the bar is certainly high.