Scarlett Johansson hunts a killer in first Exorcist: Martyrs trailer

Scarlett Johansson plays a homicide detective hunting gruesome murders in The Exorcist: Martyrs, whose first trailer was unveiled at New York City Comic Con, as reported by Variety. The footage was introduced by star Chiwetel Ejiofor and film-maker Mike Flanagan. The film is set for theatres on 12 March.

Johansson leads the cast as the detective at the centre of the murder inquiry. She is joined by Ejiofor, John Leguizamo, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane and Jacobi Jupe, according to Variety. No plot details beyond the investigation have been disclosed.

Flanagan directs, writes and produces the horror feature. Speaking at the Comic Con presentation, he called it the scariest project he has done in his career, as reported by Variety. His credits include television horror such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass.

The new film will not serve as a sequel to the 2023 release The Exorcist: Believer. It is a fresh entry in the long-running possession franchise that began with the 1973 original. That reset puts clear distance between Flanagan's story and the previous attempt to continue the series.

The Exorcist: Martyrs is a Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Morgan Creek Entertainment production, in association with Flanagan's Red Room Pictures, according to Variety. Universal Pictures lists the title as a Coming Soon movie on its official website, per Universal Pictures.

What makes this stand out is the combination. A murder mystery led by Johansson. A horror director working with his own production banner. A March date outside the usual Halloween corridor for horror. More footage and casting details are likely as that release approaches.