Scarlett Johansson Faces Evil In Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist Sequel

Mike Flanagan has a busy October ahead, and Hollywood is hoping he can fix one of its biggest horror franchises. His Carrie series premiered on Prime Video on Oct. 7. His DC film Clayface, which he co-wrote, arrives in theaters on Oct. 23. Now Universal Pictures has released the trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs, Flanagan’s attempt to bring the demonic-possession franchise back from the dead. The Exorcist: Martyrs | Official Trailer The new film stars Scarlett Johansson as Detective Julie Miller, a single mother investigating a string of murders tied to a satanic serial killer she helped put away 13 years earlier. Her 12-year-old son Max, played by Jacobi Jupe, becomes the target of a demonic force. The Exorcist: Martyrs is scheduled to open in theaters on Mar. 12, 2027. Universal did not get here by accident. The studio paid $400 million for the franchise rights in 2021 and planned a trilogy under director David Gordon Green. That plan collapsed after Exorcist: Believer failed with critics and moviegoers. The proposed sequel, Exorcist: Deceiver, had been set for Mar. 13, 2026, but Universal scrapped Green’s trilogy and turned to Flanagan to revive the property. Flanagan’s approach...