Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Venom: The Last Dance) has joined the cast of Mike Flanagan’s highly anticipated take on The Exorcist, the writer-director’s latest entry in the iconic horror franchise. Flanagan is known for chilling hits like The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep.

Ejiofor joins previously announced stars Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers), Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet), and Diane Lane (Unfaithful).

Plot details are being tightly guarded, but the project promises an all-new story set in The Exorcist universe. Flanagan’s film is not a remake of William Friedkin’s 1974 classic, nor a sequel to 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.

The series is produced by Flanagan’s Red Room Pictures, alongside Jason Blum for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and David Robinson for Morgan Creek Entertainment. Executive producers include Alexandra Magistro (Red Room) and Ryan Turek (Blumhouse).

“This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise — something that honors what came before but isn’t built on nostalgia,” Flanagan said. “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.”

The Exorcist is set to begin production in New York City and is scheduled for release on March 12, 2027, via Universal Pictures.

Ejiofor previously collaborated with Flanagan on The Life of Chuck and will also star in A24’s upcoming horror thriller The Backrooms later this year.