The Exorcist franchise is preparing to return to theaters, but this time, it looks like we’re getting something quite different from what we’ve seen before. The Exorcist: Martyrs brings filmmaker Mike Flanagan into one of horror’s most recognizable franchises, with Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Morgan Creek Entertainment backing this terrifying new chapter.
After the mixed reception to The Exorcist: Believer in 2023, there were plenty of questions about where the franchise would go next. Rather than continuing down the same path, the filmmakers are taking a fresh direction, with Flanagan writing and directing a story that combines psychological horror, a serial killer mystery, and the supernatural.
When Murder Meets Something Supernatural
Scarlett Johansson stars as Julie Miller, a New York City homicide detective who captures a serial killer known as Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo. His disturbing murders are staged to resemble the deaths of Catholic saints, turning an already horrifying investigation into something much more sinister.
Father Sunday is eventually executed, seemingly bringing an end to the nightmare. However, 13 years later, similar murders begin happening again. As Julie investigates, she finds herself confronting the possibility that something far more disturbing than an ordinary killer may be responsible.
The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Sasha Calle, Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Carla Gugino, and Kate Siegel.
A Different Kind of Exorcist Movie
What makes The Exorcist: Martyrs especially interesting is Mike Flanagan’s approach to the material. Known for The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and Doctor Sleep, Flanagan has built a reputation for creating horror that explores grief, trauma, faith, and the things people fear most.
Instead of simply revisiting familiar possession storylines, Flanagan is drawing inspiration from crime thrillers and The Exorcist III. The result appears to be a much darker investigation into the relationship between human evil and supernatural forces.
The first trailer offers a glimpse of that atmosphere, with disturbing imagery, religious themes, and a growing sense that the characters are facing something they cannot fully understand. It’s an intriguing direction for a franchise that has struggled to recapture the terrifying impact of the original 1973 film.
Can The Exorcist Find Its Scare Factor Again?
That’s probably the biggest question surrounding this movie. The original Exorcist remains one of the most influential horror films ever made, and every new installment faces the challenge of living up to that legacy.
With Flanagan behind the camera and Johansson leading the cast, The Exorcist: Martyrs certainly has the talent to bring something fresh to the franchise. Whether it can deliver the same lasting sense of dread as the original remains to be seen, but the combination of a murder mystery and demonic horror makes this one worth watching.
The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters on March 12, 2027, from Universal Pictures.