/Film: The Exorcist: Martyrs Trailer Debuts Starring Scarlett Johansson

Universal Pictures released the first teaser trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs, setting a theatrical release date of March 12, 2027, for the Mike Flanagan-directed horror film starring Scarlett Johansson, /Film reported.

Scarlett Johansson Investigates Ritual Killings in The Exorcist: Martyrs

In The Exorcist: Martyrs, Scarlett Johansson stars as NYPD homicide detective Julie Miller, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Johansson’s character investigates a murderer identified as Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo, alongside a priest played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, as a new slew of killings threatens Miller’s 12-year-old son, Jacobi Jupe, according to hollywoodreporter.com reporting. As detailed by Screenrant.com, Johansson portrays a New York City Police Department homicide detective who starts looking into a series of ritualistic murders seemingly connected to a past case, ultimately uncovering a much more malevolent force operating behind both investigations.

The cast features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sasha Calle, John Leguizamo, Diane Lane, and Laurence Fishburne, alongside recurring Flanagan collaborators including Carla Gugino, Hamish Linklater, Carl Lumbly, Rahul Kohli, and Samantha Sloyan, as detailed by /Film and screenrant.com. The film is written and directed by Mike Flanagan, representing his first foray back into franchise storytelling in close to a decade, since his feature Doctor Sleep, screenrant.com reported.

Universal Pictures Reboots the Franchise After The Exorcist Believer Disappointed

The film arrives after Universal Pictures and Blumhouse went back to the drawing board following the negative reception of David Gordon Green’s 2023 film The Exorcist: Believer, /Film reported. According to hollywoodreporter.com, Universal shelled out $400 million back in 2021 to secure the rights to the property—which began with William Friedkin’s 1973 classic—through an agreement that encompassed the production budgets for a planned trilogy shaped after David Gordon Green’s Halloween revival formula.

However, The Exorcist: Believer grossed $137 million globally amid scathing reviews, leading Universal to scrap the planned second film, titled The Exorcist: Deceiver, in 2024, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Universal then turned to Mike Flanagan to reboot the reboot, hollywoodreporter.com noted. Screenrant.com reported that Flanagan aimed to make Martyrs the scariest movie he has ever made, a sentiment echoed by Samantha Sloyan, who called it the scariest thing she has seen of his.

The Exorcist III Inspirations Shape the Narrative Direction

/Film reported that The Exorcist: Martyrs looks indebted to The Exorcist III, the sequel directed by original author William Peter Blatty and adapted from his book Legion. Screenrant.com noted that quick shots of cult-like figures throughout the trailer, including individuals with executor-style hoods over their heads attacking multiple characters, point to a distinct visual and narrative direction that sets Martyrs apart from prior franchise installments.

The Exorcist: Martyrs opens in theaters on March 12, 2027, according to hollywoodreporter.com.