Universal Shares First Look at Scarlett Johansson
Universal Pictures released a new image of Scarlett Johansson in The Exorcist: Martyrs ahead of its March 12 theatrical release.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Horror
Universal Pictures released a new image of Scarlett Johansson in The Exorcist: Martyrs, showing her character crouching over a body at a crime scene. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 12.
Why it matters
The release marks a new chapter for the franchise after The Exorcist: Believer underperformed at the box office. Mike Flanagan, who wrote and directed the film, scrapped the planned trilogy to craft a new story with an original cast and direction.
The Exorcist: Believer underperformed commercially, prompting the studio to reboot the series under new direction. No specific box office or viewership figures for the new film have been released.
The players
Scarlett Johansson
Johansson is an Academy Award-nominated actress known for roles across major studio and independent films, and she stars as an NYPD homicide detective in the film.
Mike Flanagan
Flanagan is a filmmaker known for horror series and films, who wrote and directed The Exorcist: Martyrs after taking over the franchise.
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a major Hollywood film studio and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, which is producing the film alongside Blumhouse.
The details
Johansson plays an NYPD homicide detective who caught a satanic serial killer known as Father Sunday. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are producing the film, which ScreenRant shared as part of its 31 Days of Horror coverage.
Timeline
March 12: The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters.
Legacy Franchise Reboot
The Exorcist: Martyrs follows The Exorcist: Believer, which underperformed commercially, and represents Universal and Blumhouse's decision to reset the franchise with a new creative team. Flanagan's reboot replaces the originally planned trilogy with a standalone story.
The film will be available in theaters starting March 12, giving audiences a theatrical window to see the new story. Viewers can expect the film in cinemas rather than on a streaming platform at launch.
The takeaway
The return of The Exorcist franchise with a new creative team shows how studios respond to underperforming sequels by resetting direction. Readers interested in the horror genre can track how franchise reboots perform when they break from a planned trilogy.
What happens next
The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters on March 12.
Further reading
Explore more horror coverage to see how studios are reviving legacy franchises.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ComingSoon.
