The Exorcist from 1973 remains one of the scariest and most disturbing horror films ever made. It was a true cultural phenomenon, and thus, almost all attempts to sequalize it have failed. Or at least, really underwhelmed. Even The Exorcist: Believer felt like a pale imitation of the original. But if there is anyone in Hollywood who can do a “no one asked for this” sequel or remake of a horror classic and make it great, it’s writer/director Mike Flanagan. And now, he’s taken on The Exorcist franchise with his new film The Exorcist: Martyrs, which just revealed its first trailer. And you can now watch the full trailer below:
From the look of things, this film does not look to be remaking the original The Exorcist at all, and there’s not even a hint of a possessed child, or the familiar “Tubular Bells” theme music. If anything, this supernatural serial killer movie feels like Seven. However, while it might not be a remake of William Peter Blatty’s original novel, it does bear a striking resemblance to The Exorcist III, maybe the only good sequel in this entire franchise. Scarlett Johansson plays a cop looking into ritualistic slayings in New York, all tied to demonic possessions of some sort. So this is not only giving us Seven vibes, but also The Silence of the Lambs.
Nerdist’s Take: We Trust Mike Flanagan With Even the Worst Sounding Horror Movie Idea
The Exorcist: Martyrs features an A-list cast that includes Diane Lane, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Scoot McNairy, Laurence Fishburne, and John Leguizamo. Usually, we’d scoff at yet another attempt to resurrect a beloved horror franchise past its prime. But the fact that Mike Flanagan is directing makes us very excited. He did the impossible with his amazing remake of Carrie. So at this point, we trust this guy implicitly when it comes to horror films. The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters on March 12, 2027.