A Dual Franchise Leap: Scarlett Johansson Eyed for The Exorcist Reboot and The Batman: Part II
Scarlett Johansson starred as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff in multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from 2010 to 2021. This year, she starred in Jurassic World Rebirth, which grossed over $800 million globally, ranking fourth at the box office this year and making her the current highest-grossing actress in film history. In addition to the Jurassic World franchise, she may join two other high-profile film franchises next year:
The Exorcist
Deadline exclusively reported last week that Scarlett Johansson is set to star in a reboot of The Exorcist film series. This new film will be written and directed by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House series) and will not be a sequel to 2023's The Exorcist: Believer. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions acquired the distribution rights for a new Exorcist trilogy for $400 million in 2021 and released The Exorcist: Believer in 2023. That film, directed by David Gordon Green, was a direct sequel to the 1973 original, starring Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Ann Dowd, and the original film's lead actress, Ellen Burstyn. However, The Exorcist: Believer's poor box office performance and critical reception led the studio to abandon the original trilogy plan and hire Mike Flanagan to reboot the series. Although the studio has not yet announced a release date for the new installment, filming is expected to begin before next spring, potentially allowing it to meet a release target for the October Halloween season next year.
The majority of Mike Flanagan’s previous works were horror films and series. His early works include Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil. His three most recent films are all adaptations of Stephen King's works: Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep (the sequel to The Shining), and this year's The Life of Chuck. Since 2018, he has created and directed five critically acclaimed horror series for Netflix: The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher. In 2022, he signed a deal with Prime Video to produce series for them, including adaptations of Stephen King's novels Carrie and The Dark Tower. In film, he also wrote the screenplay for the DC film Clayface.
The Batman: Part II
Deadline also exclusively reported recently that Scarlett Johansson is in final talks with DC Studios to star in The Batman: Part II. The film is expected to begin filming next spring and is scheduled for release in October 2027. Matt Reeves, the director of the first film, returns to direct and co-write the script with Mattson Tomlin (Terminator Zero). While the studio has not officially announced the full cast, Variety reported that Zoe Kravitz will not return as Catwoman. The Wrap recently reported that Oscar winner Erik Messerschmidt (Mank) will serve as the Director of Photography.
The first film, The Batman, was released in 2022 during the latter stages of the pandemic. It grossed over $750 million globally, ranking seventh at the box office that year, and received good reviews. HBO released the film's spinoff series, The Penguin, last year, starring Colin Farrell (who won a Golden Globe for the role) and Cristin Milioti (who won an Emmy for her role).
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Photo: Universal Pictures