Fans of The Exorcist might be in for a wait, as Mike Flanagan's planned film in the franchise is unlikely to hit theaters on March 13, 2026, as previously scheduled.
Flanagan took to Tumblr to address fan concerns, explaining that his priority is currently his Carrie series for Amazon MGM Studios, which adapts Stephen King's 1974 novel.
"Production hasn’t started, we need to finish Carrie first," Flanagan wrote. "No way it’s coming out next March. Nothing to worry about though."
This update comes after Universal removed the film from its 2026 release calendar and replaced it with an untitled Blumhouse movie.
The Blumhouse and Morgan Creek-produced Exorcist feature, announced in May 2024, will not be a sequel to any previous film in the franchise.
This development follows Universal's decision to scrap a planned Exorcist trilogy from director David Gordon Green after his film, The Exorcist: Believer, received poor reviews and underperformed at the box office in 2023.
Flanagan has expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something that I could add. 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."
