Chiwetel Ejiofor is set to reunite with filmmaker Mike Flanagan on Flanagan’s upcoming The Exorcist feature, following their recent collaboration on The Life of Chuck. Ejiofor joins a cast that also includes Scarlett Johansson, Jacobi Jupe, and Diane Lane, who were previously announced.
The project is a joint production between Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Universal Pictures, with a theatrical release date scheduled for March 12, 2027. Filming is expected to begin shortly, with production based in New York City.
The film will introduce a new storyline within The Exorcist franchise and is not connected narratively to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer. Flanagan wrote the screenplay and will direct the film, in addition to producing through his Red Room Pictures banner. Alexandra Magistro serves as executive producer for Red Room Pictures. David Robinson produces on behalf of Morgan Creek Entertainment, while Jason Blum is producing for Blumhouse, with Ryan Turek serving as executive producer for Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.
Ejiofor received an Academy Award nomination and won a BAFTA for his performance in 12 Years a Slave. His film credits also include Doctor Strange, The Martian, Children of Men, American Gangster, Inside Man, Love Actually, and Venom: The Last Dance.
His recent work includes The Old Guard 2 and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. He will next appear in Children of Blood and Bone for Paramount and A24’s The Backrooms.
In addition to acting, Ejiofor has directed multiple projects. His directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, premiered on Netflix. He later wrote, directed, and starred in Rob Peace, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and received a NAACP Image Award nomination.
Across film, television, and theatre, Ejiofor has received an Olivier Award, along with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and was appointed a CBE for services to drama.
In the meantime, readers can return to the origins of the franchise with the recently released deluxe edition of William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel The Exorcist, now available with a glow-in-the-dark cover. Inspired by reported cases of demonic possession from the 1940s, the book follows eleven-year-old Regan MacNeil and her mother, Chris, as they grapple with the disturbing events surrounding Regan’s possession. The novel became a bestseller upon release and continues to be regarded as a landmark title in horror fiction.
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