"The Exorcist: Martyrs" is Mike Flanagan's upcoming entry in the Exorcist franchise, confirmed under that title by Universal and clarified as a standalone story rather than a sequel to "The Exorcist: Believer," according to TheWrap. It follows NYPD detective Julie Miller, played by Scarlett Johansson, after her capture of a serial killer collides with a possession case inside the franchise's mythology. The film debuted its first full trailer on October 9, 2026, at Blumhouse's BlumFest panel during New York Comic Con, where Flanagan said he set out to make "the scariest film of his career" and believes he got there, per Dread Central. Universal has set its theatrical release for March 12, 2027.
Table of Contents
- What is "The Exorcist: Martyrs" actually about?
- Who is in the cast?
- Who is making the film, and how does it fit the Exorcist franchise?
- When does it come out, and why did the date move?
- How was the project revealed, and what should readers watch for next?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is "The Exorcist: Martyrs" actually about?
Johansson plays Julie Miller, a single-mother homicide detective who tracks down and apprehends a serial killer known as "Father Sunday," played by John Leguizamo, according to the first-look coverage from Dread Central and JoBlo. Father Sunday's murders recreate the gruesome deaths of Catholic saints and martyrs, which gives the film its title and its central puzzle for Miller to solve before more victims die. The story turns once Miller witnesses Father Sunday's execution.
Events afterward do not go as planned, and the film shifts from procedural serial-killer thriller into supernatural possession horror tied directly to the Exorcist universe, as Dread Central reports. That structure echoes "The Exorcist III," which also fused a detective investigating ritualized killings with a possession reveal — a comparison Flanagan has drawn himself. Flanagan has described the project as "a story within the Exorcist universe that has not been told before," explicitly distancing it from a remake of William Friedkin's 1973 original, per Fangoria. It builds a new case and a new set of characters rather than revisiting Regan MacNeil's story.
Who is in the cast?
Scarlett Johansson leads as Detective Julie Miller, with John Leguizamo as Father Sunday. The supporting cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laurence Fishburne, and Diane Lane, according to coverage of the BlumFest trailer debut from the Haunted Attraction Network.
That lineup gives the film heavyweight dramatic range alongside its horror mechanics — Fishburne and Lane bring awards-caliber credibility, while Leguizamo takes on a villain role built around religious imagery rather than conventional slasher tropes. Specific character details for Ejiofor, Fishburne, and Lane have not been disclosed beyond their confirmed casting.
Who is making the film, and how does it fit the Exorcist franchise?
Mike Flanagan wrote, directs, and produces the film. He's joined by Jason Blum and David Robinson, a producer who has worked across the Exorcist franchise, for Blumhouse and Morgan Creek, according to TheWrap's reporting on Flanagan's deal.
Flanagan is known for horror work built on grief and dread rather than jump scares, and he's applying that same sensibility here. At the BlumFest panel, Flanagan said he wants the film's world to feel like one "where God is dead" — a place with no safety net and no one coming to help, according to CreepyCatalog's interview coverage. He also called the script's cruelty "wildly uncomfortable" to write, signaling a tone closer to bleak psychological horror than the franchise's earlier supernatural spectacle.
When does it come out, and why did the date move?
Universal has set the U.S. theatrical release for March 12, 2027. The film was originally targeted for March 2026, but Flanagan said that date became impossible because production hadn't started and the team needed to finish "Carrie" first, according to Bloody Disgusting.
One French outlet, Cineserie, has reported a March 10, 2027 date rather than March 12, so readers checking regional listings may see a two-day discrepancy depending on the source. Most English-language outlets, including the ones cited above, confirm March 12, 2027 as the U.S. release.
How was the project revealed, and what should readers watch for next?
The title, cast, and trailer all surfaced at the same event — Blumhouse's BlumFest panel at New York Comic Con on October 9, 2026 — rather than through a staggered marketing rollout. Flanagan used the panel to debut the full trailer and speak directly about his intentions for the film's tone, a format that gave fans first-look footage and context from the director in the same appearance.
No studio synopsis or press release from Universal or Blumhouse directly has surfaced yet; everything reported so far traces back to outlet coverage of that panel and trailer. Readers tracking the film should expect the plot and tone details to firm up as Universal moves closer to the March 2027 date, since Flanagan has indicated the project is still in production following "Carrie.".
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "The Exorcist: Martyrs" a sequel to "The Exorcist: Believer"?
No. Universal confirmed it's a separate story within the franchise, not a continuation of "Believer," per TheWrap.
Who plays the killer in the film?
John Leguizamo plays "Father Sunday," a serial killer whose murders imitate the deaths of Catholic saints and martyrs, according to Dread Central and JoBlo.
When is "The Exorcist: Martyrs" being released?
Universal has set the U.S. release for March 12, 2027, after the original March 2026 date proved impossible, per Bloody Disgusting.