Superstar Scarlett Johansson steps into the world of supernatural horror as Detective Julie Miller in The Exorcist: Martyrs. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse officially unveiled the first trailer for the chilling film during New York Comic Con, giving fans an intense first look at a dark, grounded crime investigation laced with demonic dread.
Directed, written, and produced by Mike Flanagan, the movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 12, 2027. Rather than serving as a direct sequel to the 2023 film The Exorcist: Believer, Flanagan’s project takes the legendary franchise in an entirely fresh and terrifying direction.
A Terrifying Return to Darkness
In The Exorcist: Martyrs, Detective Julie Miller finds her past returning to haunt her. Thirteen years earlier, Miller successfully ended the killing spree of a satanic serial killer known as Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo. However, a fresh wave of horrific crimes shatters that peace when a new killer targets Miller by writing her name in an altar boy’s blood inside a church crypt.
As Miller digs deeper into the case, she starts connecting past notorious serial killers-including H.H. Holmes, the Night Stalker, and the Zodiac-to historical claims of demonic possession. Realizing she is completely out of her depth with standard police tactics, she teams up with former prison chaplain Father William, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and rookie Detective Gina Restrepo, played by Sasha Calle, to fight an ancient evil.
Mike Flanagan’s Bold Vision for the Franchise
During the New York Comic Con panel, Mike Flanagan admitted that crafting this project was a lifelong ambition. As a filmmaker whose career was deeply inspired by William Friedkin’s 1973 original masterpiece, Flanagan sought to create something distinct and bone-chillingly frightening.
This movie is unlike any other ‘Exorcist’ movie that’s ever been made, which was something that we were really determined to do from the very beginning, to take this franchise in a completely different direction, said Flanagan during the panel. It had to just be goddamn scary, like to your bones scary.
Flanagan’s frequent collaborator, Trevor Macy, returns as producer on behalf of Intrepid Pictures. The film is a Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Morgan Creek Entertainment production, in association with Red Room Pictures. Jason Blum and Ryan Turek serve as producer and executive producer for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, while Alexandra Magistro, Topher Merrill, and John Baden handle executive production duties.
Star-Studded Cast and Crew
Alongside Scarlett Johansson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Leguizamo, Sasha Calle, and Jacobi Jupe, the star-studded ensemble cast features veteran actors and rising stars including:
- Laurence Fishburne
- Diane Lane
- Scoot McNairy
- Gil Bellows
Cinematography is handled by Michael Fimognari, ensuring a visually striking and oppressive atmosphere. While fans have a slight wait until the film’s theatrical debut on March 12, 2027, the initial footage promises a tense narrative that blends true-crime investigation with deeply unsettling religious horror.
