Mike Flanagan combines demonic possession with a serial-killer investigation led by Scarlett Johansson.
Mike Flanagan who is dropping his take on Carrie this month is now taking The Exorcist somewhere the franchise has never gone before.
The first look at The Exorcist: Martyrs has revealed new details about Flanagan’s next chapter in the horror franchise, including Scarlett Johansson as an NYPD homicide detective, a disturbing serial killer played by John Leguizamo, and a story that blends demonic possession with a dark crime procedural.
Rather than recreating William Friedkin’s 1973 classic, Flanagan is building a new story around an investigation into evil that may go far beyond anything law enforcement can explain.
Johansson stars as Detective Julie Miller, an NYPD homicide detective whose career has centered on finding killers and bringing them to justice. She is also a single mother raising her 12-year-old son, Max, with help from her mother, Mary.
Her latest case eventually forces her to confront something that may not be entirely human.
Scarlett Johansson Investigates a Killer Called Father Sunday
John Leguizamo plays a serial killer known by the criminal name Father Sunday.
His crimes are tied to Roman Catholic imagery, with murder scenes staged to resemble the violent martyrdoms of Catholic saints. Flanagan explained that viewers familiar with Catholic history and religious iconography should recognize some of the imagery featured in the film.
Julie apprehends Father Sunday early in the story and later witnesses his execution. The execution does not unfold as expected.
Father Sunday’s death also fails to bring an end to the killings.
Julie continues investigating alongside fellow NYPD homicide detective Gina Restrepo, played by Sasha Calle, who previously portrayed Supergirl in The Flash.
Flanagan is using the investigation to combine two very different styles of storytelling.
He described the film as an attempt to bring together the serial-killer thriller elements audiences associate with movies such as Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs with the religious horror and demonic possession at the heart of The Exorcist.
The central question becomes increasingly unsettling: Are these simply people committing horrific acts, or are they being influenced or controlled by something far worse?
The Exorcist: Martyrs Introduces Two New Priests
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Father William, a former career prison chaplain who presided over Father Sunday’s execution.
The events surrounding the execution leave Father William struggling with both his calling and his faith. Years later, his experience becomes increasingly important as Julie’s investigation moves into supernatural territory.
Laurence Fishburne also joins the film as another priest who has knowledge of ancient rituals.
His character is pulled into the case when the danger begins moving beyond Julie’s professional life and toward the people closest to her.
Diane Lane plays Julie’s mother, Mary, while Jacobi Jupe plays her 12-year-old son, Max.
As the investigation expands, both become threatened by whatever is connected to the killings.
Mike Flanagan Wants a Completely Different Exorcist Movie
Flanagan has made it clear that The Exorcist: Martyrs is not intended to remake, reboot, or simply recreate Friedkin’s original film.
The filmmaker instead wants the movie to introduce new characters and a new plot while remaining inside the larger Exorcist universe. Connections to previous Exorcist stories may still exist, although Flanagan is keeping those details secret.
The approach also appears influenced by William Peter Blatty’s Legion, the novel that became the basis for The Exorcist III. Flanagan praised the novel while discussing the ideas behind his new film.
His decision to approach the franchise through a homicide investigation could help Martyrs separate itself from previous sequels that largely returned to variations of the original possession formula. Still, a demonic possession will play an important role in The Exorcist: Martyrs.
The Exorcist: Martyrs releases in theaters on March 12.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
