We now know when we’ll get to see horror maestro Mike Flanagan’s new take on The Exorcist — and it’s a pretty appropriate release date.
Universal Pictures announced today that his reimagined Exorcist film will hit theaters on March 13, 2026, which also just happens to be Friday the 13th. Not only is the release date fittingly creepy, but it also seems fairly clear of competition, at least at the moment. Currently, the only major films dated in its vicinity are a new animated Cat in the Hat movie (talk about counter-programming) on March 6, 2026, and Ryan Gosling-starring sci-fi film Project Hail Mary on March 20.
We first learned that Flanagan, known for Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher, and more, will be taking a crack at the horror classic back in May. Following weeks of rumors, Blumhouse officially announced that not only would Flanagan be writing and directing the new Exorcist film, but that it would be a “radical new take” for the series.
Blumhouse’s revival of the 1973 horror classic was set up to be a big project for the horror studio, but last year’s The Exorcist: Believer, the first of a planned trilogy, was a critical and commercial disappointment. It garnered mixed reviews and only managed to bring in $65.5 million domestically and $136.2 million worldwide — a troubling result for a deal that came in at a reported $400 million.
For awhile, the series’ future looked grim; in January, the sequel to Believer lost its release date as well as its director, David Gordon Green, also known for Blumhouse’s rebooted Halloween trilogy. But then came the announcement of Flanagan’s film, which isn’t being billed as a sequel to Believer, but rather a “new take on the world of The Exorcist,” Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum said at the time.
Regardless, the series — and Blumhouse’s vision of it — is no doubt getting a revamp, which we’ll see in 2026.
Thumbnail credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
