The Exorcist: Martyrs, clip with Johansson grappling with evil

Scarlett Johansson is Julie Miller, an NYPD homicide detective who finds herself on the trail of Father Sunday, a serial killer responsible for a series of murders staged as the martyrdoms of Catholic saints. The criminal, played by John Leguizamo, is caught and sentenced to death, but his execution does not close the case: the murders resume immediately after.

Mike Flanagan thus steers The Exorcist: Martyrs towards an investigative thriller, with Julie joined by Detective Gina, played by Sasha Calle. The investigation will eventually intersect with something that defies criminal logic.

The killer dies, but the murders don't stop

Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist: Martyrs only in theaters March 12. Trailer out this Friday. https://t.co/KmzWwhUyyk

— The Exorcist Martyrs (@exorcistmartyrs) October 7, 2026

The cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Father William, and Laurence Fishburne, who plays another clergyman expert in ancient rituals. Their presence becomes crucial when Julie realizes that a supernatural force might be behind the new series of crimes.

Flanagan explained that he wants to blend the mystery of a Se7en-esque thriller with the horror of The Exorcist, while keeping the demonic component at the center of the story. The Exorcist: Martyrs will not be a remake or a reboot of William Friedkin's masterpiece. The story will be set in the same universe as the saga, but will follow new characters and events. Judging by the starting point, the work could be far superior to the previous, mediocre, The Exorcist - Believer.