Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs gets first teaser and plot details
A first teaser and Esquire interview reveal plot details of Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs, starring Scarlett Johansson, due in theatres 12 March 2027. Den of Geek reads the setup as closer to The Exorcist III than to the 1973 original.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1The first official teaser and story details have been released for The Exorcist: Martyrs, the new film in the Exorcist franchise written and directed by Mike Flanagan. Screen RantN “The first official look and story details are unveiled for Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2The cast is led by Scarlett Johansson, Jacobi Jupe, Diane Lane, John Leguizamo and Chiwetel Ejiofor; filming started in March and wrapped in June, and the film is due in theatres on 12 March 2027. Screen RantN “Filming was confirmed to have started in March and wrapped in June ahead of the March 12, 2027 theatrical release date” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Den of GeekN “The Exorcist: Martyrs releases in theaters on March 12, 2027” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1The teaser shows Johansson's character descending stairs with a flashlight, Ejiofor as a religious figure in a church, Leguizamo's character about to receive a lethal injection, protesters, and a terrified Jupe crawling backwards. A full trailer is due at New York Comic Con later this week. Screen RantN “the first official teaser has been released ahead of the full trailer debuting at New York Comic Con later this week” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 2Flanagan told Esquire that Johansson plays Detective Julie Miller, an NYPD homicide detective and single mother of 12-year-old Max, with her own mother, Mary, picking up much of the childcare. Screen RantN “She’s a homicide detective with the NYPD and a single mother of a young boy named Max, who’s just turned 12 years old.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Den of GeekN “Scarlett Johansson will play an NYPD detective named Julie Miller” Read at Den of Geek ↗ Centre · 1Leguizamo plays a serial killer called Father Sunday, whom Miller apprehends early on and then witnesses being executed, an execution that, Flanagan said, does not go as expected. Father Sunday stages murder scenes depicting Catholic saints being martyred, which Flanagan said viewers with religious or historical literacy will recognise. Screen RantN “Leguizamo's character goes by the name Father Sunday, and he stages brutal murder scenes that depict Roman Catholic saints being martyred.”“anyone raised Catholic, and even those who aren’t but have any kind of religious or historical literacy, are going to recognize a lot of that in the trailer” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Den of Geek's opinion piece argues the premise departs from the 1973 original and resembles The Exorcist III (1990, based on William Peter Blatty's novel Legion), which centres on police and a killer. It notes Flanagan calls Legion "a wonderful novel". Den of GeekN “it sounds like Flanagan’s moving off of the 1973 movie by William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty”“a book Flanagan describes to Esquire as “a wonderful novel.”” Read at Den of Geek ↗
Centre · 1Flanagan also said religious horror lets audiences confront the horrors of being alive, adding: "In fiction, we can stare the devil in the face." Den of GeekN ““In fiction, we can stare the devil in the face.”” Read at Den of Geek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Screen Rant reports the teaser and Esquire plot details as entertainment news; Den of Geek offers an opinion piece placing the film in the franchise's history, comparing it with The Exorcist III.
- Emphasis
- Character and plot details, the cast, the release date, and the franchise lineage.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither piece gives details beyond the Esquire interview and teaser, such as studio comment.
- Charged language
- “scariest movie ever made”“inexplicably weird sequel”
- For example
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“The first official look and story details are unveiled for Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs.” — Screen Rant
“The Exorcist: Martyrs Sounds Like a Sequel to The Exorcist III” — Den of Geek
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs is due in theatres on 12 March 2027.
- Scarlett Johansson plays NYPD detective Julie Miller.
- John Leguizamo plays a serial killer called Father Sunday.
Mike Flanagan person
Flanagan, who wrote and directed, describes the film through its detective lead and killer who stages saints' martyrdoms, and frames religious horror as a way to confront real horrors.
“Flanagan directed and wrote the newest installment in the long-running horror franchise” — Screen Rant
““In fiction, we can stare the devil in the face.”” — Den of Geek
Scarlett Johansson person
Johansson plays NYPD homicide detective Julie Miller, the lead of the film.
“Johansson's character is Detective Julie Miller” — Screen Rant
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Mike Flanagan's Exorcist Movie Officially Unveils First Look & Story Details
Neutral Straight news report relaying the teaser and Flanagan's Esquire comments on cast, characters and release date.
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Den of GeekN · · Opinion
The Exorcist: Martyrs Sounds Like a Sequel to The Exorcist III
Sympathetic Opinion piece welcoming Flanagan's apparent move toward The Exorcist III's cop-and-killer model as a way to make the devil scary again.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 02:37 First Screen RantN Mike Flanagan's Exorcist Movie Officially Unveils First Look & Story Details
- 7 Oct 16:03 +13h 26m Den of GeekN The Exorcist: Martyrs Sounds Like a Sequel to The Exorcist III Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.