Scarlett Johansson's next investigation takes her into terrifying territory. Universal Pictures has unveiled the first official trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs, giving audiences a look at Mike Flanagan's new chapter in the horror franchise ahead of its March 12, 2027, theatrical release. The film brings together a murder investigation, a detective's troubled past, and a threat that reaches beyond ordinary criminal violence.
Johansson plays New York City detective Julie Miller, who helped bring down the satanic serial killer known as Father Sunday, portrayed by John Leguizamo. Years later, a new murder draws her back toward the case she believed was behind her, raising questions about whether its evil ever truly ended.
The premise gives Johansson a role with both professional and personal stakes. Miller is also the mother of a 12-year-old boy, Max, placing family vulnerability alongside her work as a homicide detective. That combination offers the film a potent source of tension: an investigator accustomed to confronting danger must reckon with darkness that threatens the people closest to her.
Miller's investigation brings her together with Father William, a former prison chaplain played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and rookie detective Gina Restrepo, portrayed by Sasha Calle. Father William heard the killer's final confession, making his knowledge a crucial part of the mystery. The ensemble also includes Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Jacobi Jupe.
Flanagan has emphasized that the film tells an original story within the Exorcist universe. For viewers familiar with his work on Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, that approach creates an intriguing question: how will his interest in grief, belief, and human vulnerability shape a franchise so closely associated with spiritual terror?
The trailer offers the first opportunity to assess that direction. With Johansson leading the investigation and Flanagan writing and directing, The Exorcist: Martyrs is positioning its central mystery as the gateway to something far more disturbing.
Watch the official trailer: The Exorcist: Martyrs - Official Trailer
