Jacobi Jupe has joined Scarlett Johansson in Mike Flanagan’s next film set in The Exorcist universe, adding a rising young actor to Universal’s latest attempt to reboot the long-running horror property. Flanagan is writing and directing the project and producing through his Red Room Pictures banner alongside Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Morgan Creek Entertainment, according to multiple reports.
The film is expected to shoot in New York City, with production targeted for 2026. A release date has not been announced, after Universal previously removed the film from its March 13, 2026 slot as Flanagan flagged timing issues tied to his planned work on a Carrie series. In a Tumblr response referenced in earlier reporting, Flanagan wrote that production had not started and that there was “no way” the movie could hit that March date.
Studios have been recalibrating their strategy for the franchise since The Exorcist: Believer (2023), which was launched as the start of a planned trilogy after NBCUniversal paid about $400 million for rights to the property. The trilogy plan was later dropped; Believer grossed about $137 million worldwide on a reported $30 million budget.
Johansson’s casting was announced in late November, with Flanagan praising her range and calling her “a brilliant actress,” while saying he was excited to have her on the film. He has also described his goal for the project as making “the scariest movie I’ve ever made.”
Jupe recently drew attention for playing the title role in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, opposite Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, after the film premiered at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival. His credits also include Apple TV+’s psychological thriller miniseries Before, Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy, and the series Britannia.
