Filmmaker Mike Flanagan Calls This Movie 'The Scariest' He's Ever Made

If there’s one thing filmmaker Mike Flanagan excels at, it’s creating horror films that haunt your thoughts long after the credits roll. Although he was initially supposed to contribute to The Exorcist trilogy, Flanagan has now shifted to a new project with Universal Pictures, which he describes as “the scariest movie” he’s ever made. Recently, he opened up about his latest film The Life of Chuck and shared how the entire team worked tirelessly to make it a film that will be remembered for decades. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this month, The Life of Chuck has Tom Hiddleston in the lead role as Charles Krantz. It is adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 short story which is a part of his anthology If It Bleeds.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the Midnight Mass creator explained that he only gets involved with a franchise if he feels there are new layers to explore in the storyline. He also talked about how he had long pursued The Exorcist, believing he had fresh ideas for the series.

When speaking about The Life of Chuck, Flanagan emphasised how this film has offered him an exciting opportunity to experiment with things that haven’t been done before. Regarding the franchise, Flanagan said, “It’s something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia.” He also acknowledged to THR that people have set high expectations for his next movie, admitting that no one feels the pressure more than he does.

Earlier, Universal Pictures had reportedly revealed that Mike Flanagan would be directing the next installment of The Exorcist franchise. Soon after the underwhelming performance of The Exorcist: Believer, which was meant to launch a new horror trilogy, the studio decided to change direction and explore different ideas.

The Exorcist: Believer was a direct sequel to the 1973 horror classic. The film featured Leslie Odom Jr. as Victor Fielding, whose daughter Angela disappears into the woods with her friend Katherine. When they’re found days later, they’ve been possessed by a dark, sinister force.

Ellen Burstyn, who acted in the original movie, returned to her role as Chris MacNeil in this 2023 version. David Gordon Green, who was supposed to direct the now-scrapped Exorcist trilogy, shared with IndieWire that the sequels would have focused on Ann Dowd’s character Ann, a nurse and Victor Fielding’s neighbor.

The Exorcist: Believer was released in theaters on October 6, 2023.