The Exorcist: Martyrs trailer: Scarlett Johansson and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Mike Flanagan’s reboot

The first trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs is out. Blumhouse and Universal released it on Friday 9 October, giving fans their first proper look at Mike Flanagan’s new take on the horror classic. Scarlett Johansson leads as a New York detective, and the British-Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a former prison chaplain who helps her. The film opens in cinemas on 12 March 2027. Here is what the trailer and the studio have confirmed, and where the film fits in a long and uneven franchise.

By Editorial Team

What we know

• The trailer (FACT). Blumhouse released the first trailer on Friday 9 October, as reported by Deadline and Collider.
• The release date (FACT). Universal’s official site for the film lists a cinema release on 12 March 2027.
• The filmmaker (FACT). Mike Flanagan wrote and directed the film, which is based on characters created by The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty. Jason Blum and David Robinson produce, and Collider reports that Flanagan also produces.
• The cast (FACT). Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sasha Calle, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Scoot McNairy, Gil Bellows and Laurence Fishburne are among the actors named by Deadline. Collider adds Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli and Hamish Linklater, all familiar faces from Flanagan’s earlier work.
• Not a sequel to Believer (REPORTED). Collider reports that the film is not a continuation of 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.

What The Exorcist: Martyrs is about

According to the plot description published with the trailer, Johansson plays Julie Miller, an NYPD homicide detective. She ends the killing spree of a satanic killer known as Father Sunday, played by Leguizamo. Collider says she is raising a 12-year-old son, Max, and that she sees Father Sunday executed.

Thirteen years later, a new killer drags her back. Her name is found written in the blood of a murdered altar boy on the walls of a church crypt. She teams up with Father William, a former prison chaplain played by Ejiofor, and a rookie detective, Gina Restrepo, played by Calle. Together they uncover what the studio describes as an ancient evil linking notorious real-life killers across generations.

That set-up is a clear change of direction. The 1973 original was a story about a family and a possessed child. Flanagan’s version starts as a crime investigation and only then turns supernatural.

Why Chiwetel Ejiofor matters here

For many of our readers, Ejiofor is the most interesting name on the poster. The London-born actor, whose parents are Nigerian, earned an Oscar nomination for best actor for 12 Years a Slave. He has also directed, and has played major roles in both prestige dramas and big studio films.

His part here sounds central rather than decorative. Father William is the person who brings faith and knowledge of the Church into the investigation, a role that in Exorcist stories often carries much of the emotional weight. Our timeline of African winners and nominees at the Grammys, Oscars, Cannes and Emmys shows how often British-Nigerian talent has broken through in Hollywood, and the background in our history of Nigeria’s Oscar entries explains why the country is still waiting for its own nomination.

Why fans are paying attention

Flanagan has a strong following among horror fans. He made The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass for Netflix and directed Doctor Sleep, the follow-up to The Shining. Both of those series dealt with faith and grief, which makes The Exorcist a natural fit.

The franchise needs a lift. The Exorcist: Believer, released in 2023, was meant to start a new trilogy but was poorly received by critics. Flanagan’s film takes a fresh approach rather than continuing that story, which gives it room to stand on its own.

The trailer has arrived five months before release, which is typical for a major spring horror film. How it performs will depend on reviews and word of mouth. Our explainers on how Rotten Tomatoes scores work and how to read box office numbers explain the figures that will follow its release.

What we do not know yet

There is no confirmed running time or age rating yet, and the studio has not said whether the film will show in Nigerian cinemas on the same date as in the US. We do not know how large Diane Lane’s or Laurence Fishburne’s roles are, or whether any characters from earlier Exorcist films return. Deadline’s report names Johansson’s character as both Judy and Julie Miller; we have used Julie, the name given in the full plot description and by Collider.

What happens next

• Now: the trailer is available on Universal’s official site for the film and on the studio’s channels.
• Early 2027: expect more trailers, posters and festival or press screenings as the release date approaches.
• 12 March 2027: The Exorcist: Martyrs opens in cinemas. We will cover the reviews and the opening weekend.

For a look at the year ahead, see our 2027 entertainment awards and festival calendar.

More film and TV: Movies & TV.

Photo credits: Featured image: Chiwetel Ejiofor at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Photo: Kevin Payravi, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. In-article image: Scarlett Johansson, 2025. Photo: YantsImages, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source.

Sources

• Deadline: The Exorcist: Martyrs trailer – Scarlett Johansson tracks a demonic killer (9 Oct 2026)
• Collider: Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist reboot officially releases its first trailer (9 Oct 2026)
• Universal Pictures: The Exorcist: Martyrs official site (release date)
• BroadwayWorld: The Exorcist: Martyrs trailer released (9 Oct 2026)