New "The Exorcist": Who is Scarlett Johansson playing?

Scarlett Johansson stars as a New York police investigator tracking a demonic serial killer in "The Exorcist: Martyrs." The project is directed by Mike Flanagan, and stylistically, it draws from dark thrillers like "Se7en" and "The Silence of the Lambs." The first promotional materials, photos, and a teaser trailer were released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

In brief

The official promotional materials have not yet revealed the name of the officer played by Johansson.
Mike Flanagan's project abandons the domestic possession trope in favor of a gritty urban police procedural.
The revealed clips and stills depict crimes showing signs of supernatural interference.
The announcements lack the names of other cast members and a theatrical release date.

"The Exorcist: Martyrs": Scarlett Johansson on the trail of demonic evil

The production breaks away from the brand's established patterns. The plot does not center on a helpless family or a priest called in with a sprinkler. The axis of the story is a New York detective trying to connect a series of gruesome murders.

The materials shown on October 7, 2026, do not reveal the character's name. It is only known that she represents the New York Police Department and is investigating a perpetrator whose motives transcend human understanding. The investigator examines crime scenes in a rainy, urban setting. The shots highlight dirty alleys, police stations, and morgues.

Instead of prayers over a sickbed, we get evidence gathering. The perpetrator acts methodically, and his technique suggests the presence of a demonic entity. Johansson abandons action-packed cinema for the role of an exhausted police officer forced to confront phenomena that police procedures simply do not account for.

The investigation leads her deep into the urban underworld. The creators eliminate traditional religious trappings from the foreground. There are no crosses on the walls or rituals by Vatican envoys. The threat exists on the streets, and the police treat the case as a serial killer investigation until physical evidence shatters the rational order.

Mike Flanagan behind the camera: the horror master takes over an iconic brand

Mike Flanagan, an author known in recent years for acclaimed horror films created for Netflix, is at the helm of the project. The director built his reputation through productions that focus on slow-building tension, psychology, and the rejection of cheap jump scares. In "The Exorcist: Martyrs," he brings this sensibility to a theatrical format.

This auteur approach is visible in the published stills. Flanagan does not reconstruct the atmosphere of William Friedkin's 1973 film. Instead of nostalgia, he offers a cold, naturalistic form. He rejects digital monsters and spectacular pyrotechnics. Instead, he focuses on the rawness of the image, composition, and a heavy atmosphere of moral ambiguity.

Working on such a high-profile studio brand is a serious test for Flanagan. His previous streaming projects had a serial structure, which allowed for slow development of plot threads through hours of dialogue. A theatrical film requires greater editing discipline. The revealed fragments suggest that the director has managed to maintain full control over the grim, uncompromising tone of the story.

The direction chosen by the director is intriguing because it cuts away from the commercial trends of modern horror cinema. Flanagan eschews loud sound jumps. He builds horror through detail, the reaction of a human face to macabre, and a sense of being cornered. His version of New York becomes a claustrophobic labyrinth, not just a backdrop for a spectacle.

"Se7en" meets "The Silence of the Lambs": the film's stylistic concept

The style of "The Exorcist: Martyrs" is a direct nod to the grim crime thrillers of the 1990s. The presented materials operate with a cold color palette. Muted greens, grays, and deep shadows dominate the frames. The depicted world is wet with rain, devoid of warmth, and overwhelming.

The inspiration from David Fincher's "Se7en" is manifested in the construction of the crime scenes. The killer leaves behind gruesome stagings that the investigator analyzes piece by piece. Meanwhile, the influence of Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" is visible in the psychological weight of the investigation. The relationship between the hunter and the elusive evil is based on the character's psychological destruction.

Instead of exorcism scenes, we get police routine: crime scene tape, forensic technicians, and evidence analysis. The horror does not appear directly from the first minutes. It emerges from the nature of the crimes, whose brutality and unnatural character rule out the actions of a sane human.

Shifting the focus to a procedural investigation completely changes the dynamics of the entire subgenre. The demon is no longer trapped in the body of one victim lying in a safe room in the suburbs. Evil roams the streets of a big city, attacks anonymous people, and destabilizes the structures of public order.

Key information about the "The Exorcist: Martyrs" project

Materials released on October 7, 2026, allow us to organize the confirmed facts about the upcoming film:

Production title: "The Exorcist: Martyrs".
Director: Mike Flanagan.
Lead role: Scarlett Johansson as a New York police investigator.
Plot profile: criminal investigation into a demonic serial killer.
Stylistic framework: dark procedural thriller referencing "Se7en" and "The Silence of the Lambs".
Release of first materials: Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

Official reports have not revealed the film's budget, theatrical release date, or the names of other cast members. It was also not stated who wrote the script or who is responsible for cinematography. The promotional campaign at this stage focuses exclusively on the director and the character played by Johansson.

For the actress herself, this is a return to gritty dramas after years of working on blockbuster projects. Her character is a tired figure, devoid of cinematic glamour, acting under the pressure of time and piling corpses. The creators do not reveal whether the investigator is struggling with personal trauma, but her image in the photos suggests progressive burnout.

There is strict information discipline surrounding the production. Distributors have not yet presented a full trailer, only dosing out short snippets of scenes and static shots. The lack of a specific release date indicates that the project is in an intensive post-production phase or that the producers are waiting for audience reactions before setting the final distribution window.

Promotional materials: what the first teaser and photos revealed

The video materials and stills presented on October 7 focus on building a sense of helplessness. Instead of levitating bodies, the creators show dilapidated New York stairwells, dark tenement apartments, and police patrols securing successive murder sites.

Johansson appears in almost every photo. She wears a dark, worn coat, has no expressive makeup, and her gaze betrays permanent exhaustion. In one scene of the trailer, she enters a flooded, unlit basement with a flashlight and service weapon. The published fragments do not show the perpetrator or the demon itself. The horror stems from the police officers' reactions to the bodies and the unnatural arrangement of marks on the walls.

The sound layer in the trailer has been reduced to a minimum. There are no orchestral hits. You can hear the sound of a downpour, the metallic crackle of police radios, and the character's rapid breathing. Religious props have been completely replaced by firearms, flashlights, handcuffs, and death case files.

Such editing is a creative declaration. Flanagan removes from the frame everything that has so far been associated with exorcism films. The concerned parent figure disappears, as do doctors helplessly throwing up their hands in a hospital. Their place is taken by a lonely policewoman who realizes that the penal code does not apply to the force behind these murders.

Status of "The Exorcist" universe and cinematic prospects

The "Exorcist" brand needed a radical cut. Previous attempts to resurrect the series fell into self-parody, repeating the motif of the bed, green vomit, and a screaming priest. The audience rejected these patterns. Turning toward a police thriller is a pragmatic move aimed at saving the license.

The lack of an announced budget and release date testifies to a cautious marketing strategy. Producers are testing the waters, checking how viewers will react to the marriage of religious horror with detective cinema. Casting Scarlett Johansson is intended to ensure the project gets the attention of audiences outside the narrow circle of horror fans, guaranteeing recognition on posters.

The risk lies in the reaction of purists. If the demonic thread turns out to be only a shallow addition to an ordinary killer thriller, the film will face accusations of exploiting the title of the 1973 classic. Conversely, fans of intense horror may feel disappointed by the lack of classic possession scenes.

However, the materials released on October 7 suggest that Flanagan is trying to find a middle ground. Shifting the emphasis to a 1990s-style procedural investigation gives a chance for a fresh look at the subject of evil that is not confined to the four walls of a child's bedroom, but permeates the entire city.

What this means for you

The new installment of the series abandons worn-out bedroom possession tropes in favor of a police thriller. Viewers can expect a cold crime drama in the style of the 1990s, based on methodical investigation, rainy exteriors, and a heavy atmosphere instead of repetitive jumpscares.

Q&A

What is the official title of the new horror film starring Scarlett Johansson?

The production is officially titled "The Exorcist: Martyrs".

Who does Scarlett Johansson play in the new film?

The actress plays a New York police investigator who tracks a demonic serial killer. The character's name has not been revealed in promotional materials.

Who is directing "The Exorcist: Martyrs"?

Mike Flanagan, a creator known for acclaimed horror films made for platforms including Netflix, is responsible for directing.

What titles does the style of the new production reference?

The materials announce the style of a grim procedural thriller, drawing direct inspiration from films such as David Fincher's "Se7en" and Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs".

Sources

Article prepared with the help of artificial intelligence. Facts come from the sources listed above. The Wiadomości PRO newsroom is responsible for this publication.