Summary
Writer-director Mike Flanagan has a habit of working with the same actors across a variety of film and TV projects, and that means there are some frequent Flanagan collaborators I want to see in his newExorcistmovie. Slated for a 2026 release,Mike Flanagan’sExorcistmoviepromises to be a “radical new take” ona franchise that’s struggled to hit the nightmare-inducing highs of 1973’sThe Exorcist. To my delight, it won’t be directly related to 2023’s failed sequel,The Exorcist: Believer, which garnered abysmal reviews and an underwhelming $137 million at the global box office.
Given that the rights to the franchise were purchased for a whopping $400 million in 2021,Flanagan’sExorcistfranchise moviehad better do its storied title justice. Aside from well-received horror films likeGerald’s Game,Doctor Sleep, andHush, Flanagan is known for bringing his signature brand of scares (both jump and psychological) to Netflix. Some of my personal favorites includeThe Haunting of Hill House,Midnight Mass, andThe Fall of the House of Usher,all of which benefit not just from Flanagan’s vision but from a cast of frequent collaboratorswho always churn out powerful performances.
Flanagan’sExorcistmovie could really benefit from the efforts of some of his frequent collaborators.
The Haunting of Hill House, which hit Netflix in 2018, made Mike Flanagan into something of a household name — at least among my fellow horror enthusiasts.The limited series also introduced viewers to Flanagan’s anthology-like approach to casting; plenty ofHill House’s personalities can be seen inFall of the House Of Usher’s ensemble cast. This adds a kind of continuity to Flanagan’s wide-ranging body of horror work, which boasts original ideas as well as adaptations of classics. That said, Flanagan’sExorcistmovie could really benefit from the efforts of some of his frequent collaborators.
11Hamish Linklater
Midnight Mass
I don’t think I’m alone in believing thatMike Flanagan’sExorcistmovie needs a reunionbetween the director andMidnight Massactor Hamish Linklater. In the 2021 series,Linklater plays Father Paul Hill, a mysterious priestwho turns up on an isolated (and incredibly devout) island to replace the community’s ailing priest. During mass, Father Paul seemingly heals a member of the congregation, prompting a religious fervor to sweep Crockett. There’s more to the mystery of Father Paul’s apparent powers than his status as a priest; previously, he discovered an ancient, supernatural being near Jerusalem.
Linklater’s reunion with Flanagan could see him bringing another powerhouse performance as a man of the cloth.
ThisMidnight Massplot point is strikingly similar to the opening of 1973’sThe Exorcistin which priest Lankester Merrin unearths a stone talisman of a winged being during an archaeological dig in the ancient ruins of Hatra. Afterward, a being that bears a resemblance to the talisman confronts the priest. Of course, Merrin is far from the only priest inThe Exorcist. Father Damien Karras, a psychiatrist who counsels priests, is also a key figure in the film. Needless to say, Linklater’s reunion with Flanagan could see him bringing another powerhouse performance as a man of the cloth.
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10Henry Thomas
The Haunting Of Hill House, The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Midnight Mass & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
When Henry Thomas first appeared inThe Haunting of Hill House, many viewers (myself included) still associated him withE.T.However, Thomas has since reinvented his image as one of Flanagan’s most frequent collaborators and a constant presence in blockbuster horror films. In addition to appearing inMike Flanagan’s best horror shows—Hill House,Bly Manor,Midnight Mass,House of Usher— Thomas has also landed roles in the director’s horror films. Notably, he played a priest in Flanagan’sOuija: Origins of Evil, so I could see him playing the 2026 movie’s version of Father Damien Karras.
9Kate Siegel
The Haunting Of Hill House, Hush, The Fall Of The House Of Usher & Ouija: Origin Of Evil
ActorKate Seigel appears in so many Mike Flanaganhorror projects that at least a cameo role in hisExorcistmovie is a must. A modern-day scream queen, Siegel has appeared in nearly all of her husband’s horror movies, includingOculus,Ouija: Origin of Evil,Gerald’s Game, andHush, which she co-wrote. A key player inHill House,Midnight Mass, andHouse of Usher, Siegel also appears briefly inBly Manor. If Flanagan’sExorcistborrows from the 1973 film,Siegel could easily play the new flick’s version of Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed child Regan.
8Carla Gugino
Gerald’s Game, The Haunting Of Hill House, The Haunting Of Bly Manor & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Aside from Siegel, Carla Gugino may be one of Flanagan’s most prolific collaborators. In addition to leading the director’s harrowing adaptation ofGerald’s Game, Gugino has starring roles inHill House,Bly Manor, andThe Fall of the House of Usher. InHouse of Usher, Gugino is the mysterious Verna, who takes many forms and seems to prey on the Usher family after they make a deal with the devil. Whether playing a possessed person or a demonic entity,Gugino more than has the chops to take on a variety of deliciously haunting rolesin Mike Flanagan’sExorcistmovie.
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7Rahul Kohli
The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Rahul Kohli first started working with Mike Flanagan onThe Haunting of Bly Manor. After playing one of my favoriteBly Manorcharacters — kind-hearted chef Owen — Kohli landed a more principal role inMidnight Massas Crockett Island’s Sheriff Hassan. Although he played completely against type to great effect inHouse of Usher,I could see Kohli playing a character likeThe Exorcist’s Detective William Kinderman. Regardless of his role inMike Flanagan’sExorcistmovie, Rahul Kohli needs to be part of the blockbuster franchise film.
6Annabeth Gish
Midnight Mass & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Although actor Annabeth Gish has been part of fewer Mike Flanagan projects than some of the director’s other collaborators, her roles have always been memorable. InMidnight Mass, Gish plays the island community’s doctor, Sarah Gunning, who cares for her aging mother, and inThe Fall of the House of Usher,she plays the Usher twins' late mother, who terrifyingly rises from the grave in one sequence.I could see Gish portraying a doctor or psychologist who tries to explain away theExorcist’s demonic possession through science— or, on the other end of the spectrum, a terrifyingly devout acolyte.
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5Samantha Sloyan
Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
In Mike Flanagan’sMidnight Mass, Samantha Sloyan makes a lasting impression as Bev Keane, an overbearing zealot who is highly influential in both the church and school on Crockett Island. An antagonist of sorts, Bev leads the community’s religious fervor down a dark path, culminating in a truly haunting and raw performance from Sloyan.It would make sense for Sloyan to play a similarly devout character in the latestExorcistmovie. In other Flanagan projects, likeThe Midnight Club, the actor has played characters who seem harmless on the outside, but who harbor a chillingly nefarious side deep down.
4Ruth Codd
The Midnight Club & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
One of the stand-out actors inThe Midnight Club, Ruth Codd plays Anya, an often-blunt resident of the show’s juvenile hospice center. Afterward, Codd cropped up inFall of the House of Usher, playing Juno, the wife of Roderick Usher who has a dependency onHouse of Usher’s Ligodone drug— the Usher family’s highly addictive painkiller. Although Codd is older than the originalExorcist’s Regan character, she could still play a young person who falls victim to demonic possession. After all,Codd’s performances are united by the actor’s ability to be incredibly raw, commanding, and emotional.
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3Victoria Pedretti
The Haunting Of Hill House & The Haunting Of Bly Manor
While Victoria Pedretti’s career spans various genres, there’s no denying that she’s a horror icon. In fact, most ofVictoria Pedretti’s best scream queen momentscrop up in Mike Flanagan collaborations. InHaunting of Hill House, Pedretti plays the ghostly Nell Crain — one of the siblings who never fully recovered from the otherworldly experiences of her childhood. Since Nell appears as a specter to her other siblings,Pedretti perfectly embodies a possessed, driven-to-her-limits character. On the other hand,Bly Manorproves that Pedretti has the chops to play a protagonist who navigates the genre’s many horrors.
2T’Nia Miller
The Haunting Of Bly Manor & The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Known for roles inYears and YearsandThe Peripheral, T’Nia Miller joined Mike Flanagan’s horror series withThe Haunting of Bly Manor. In the series, Miller plays Hannah Grose, the housekeeper of the titular manor who’s incredibly protective of the children. In a twist, Mrs. Grose has actually been among the dead for the bulk of the series' present-day storyline, soshe continually grapples with her faith and reality. Needless to say, Miller would be a perfect fit for the themes tackled inThe Exorcist.
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