Scarlett Johansson’s next horror film finally has a name, and the first look reveals a terrifying new direction for the franchise. Mike Flanagan unveiled the official title and cast details for his upcoming entry in The Exorcist series.
The Exorcist with Scarlett Johansson finally gets a title
Mike Flanagan’s upcoming entry in the Exorcist franchise now has an official title. Universal has revealed the film will be called The Exorcist: Martyrs. The movie will release on March 12, 2027.
Scarlett Johansson leads the film as Detective Julie Miller, a homicide detective with the NYPD. Flanagan described her character as “a single mother of a young boy named Max, who’s just turned 12 years old.” John Leguizamo plays a serial killer known by the pseudonym “Father Sunday.” His MO involves staging murder scenes modeled on the brutal martyrdom of Roman Catholic saints.
Flanagan told Esquire the film blends horror with crime thriller elements. “How can we explore those ideas in a serial-killer thriller,” he said, combining “what we love about a movie like Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs” with “what we love about a movie like The Exorcist?” The story follows Miller as she apprehends and witnesses the execution of Father Sunday. However, the killings continue even after his death.
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Father William, a prison chaplain who presided over the execution. Flanagan said the character “has found himself in a vocational crisis, a crisis of faith, based on the things that happened that night.” Laurence Fishburne plays another priest familiar with ancient rituals. Sasha Calle co-stars as fellow detective Gina Restrepo. Diane Lane portrays Miller’s mother, and Jacobi Jupe plays her son Max.
The film will not connect to the 2023 movie The Exorcist: Believer. Flanagan emphasized wanting the story to “stand on its own two legs, encapsulating a brand-new plotline with brand-new characters.” Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Morgan Creek Entertainment are producing. Flanagan is also writing and producing alongside Jason Blum and franchise producer David Robinson.