Scarlett Johansson is set to star in a radical new version of The Exorcist, sparking questions about whether she might fall victim to the film’s infamous “curse.”
The 1973 original was said to terrify audiences both on- and off-screen, with reports of cinema-goers crying, fainting, and even vomiting. In New York, one woman allegedly suffered a miscarriage during a screening.
The production itself was plagued by a series of tragedies, including fires on set, serious injuries, and deaths among cast, crew, and their relatives. One minor actor would later be convicted of murder and linked to multiple grisly crimes.
Johansson, known for her superstitions – never walking under ladders and crossing her fingers at graveyards – might not be easily rattled.
Yet her awareness of the film’s notorious history makes her involvement intriguing, especially given reports of unexplained events during her past stays in old hotels.
She is not the first Hollywood star drawn into The Exorcist’s unholy orbit. Richard Burton appeared in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), and a pre-fame Samuel L. Jackson appeared in The Exorcist III (1990).
At 41, Johansson is one of the most highly paid actresses in Hollywood, recently featured on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and boasting two Academy Award nominations in a single year.
Her decision to join the horror franchise, directed by Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin of Evil), seems driven by her appetite for challenge rather than superstition.
Cast members, including Max von Sydow, endured harsh conditions, personal tragedies, and strange delays, giving the film its “cursed” reputation.
Universal Pictures spent $400 million to revive the franchise in 2021, but The Exorcist: Believer (2023) flopped. Johansson’s star power is seen as essential to breathe new life into the series, though the shadow of the original’s troubled history looms large.