Scarlett Johansson is a powerhouse of acting talent. While most audiences know her as Black Widow from Marvel’s massive superhero movie franchise, she’s also a two-time Academy Award nominee. She was nominated for Best Actress for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. While she didn’t win, those nominations show her intense emotional vulnerability when bringing characters to life. Therefore, it carries weight when a trusted director says her upcoming thriller performance is one of the most “raw” and “intense” she has ever delivered.
Mike Flanagan has been making a splash in horror TV, earning praise for The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and his new take on Stephen King’s Carrie. The writer-director has also been hard at work on the next installment of The Exorcist franchise. He put together a stellar ensemble cast, with Johansson front and center as Julie Miller, an NYPD detective investigating ritualistic murders. The case takes an even darker turn when the events appear linked to a deceased serial killer she helped put behind bars.
The trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs is an intense mix of police procedural and the religious horror the franchise thrives on. However, audiences can already get a sense of Johansson’s portrayal, with the trailer underscoring her emotional highs and lows as her own child looks to be possessed by an evil spirit. Flanagan has a knack for mixing nightmare scenarios with deep personal trauma and gut-wrenching twists. His next movie should offer more of the same, with the director promising Johansson was “terrified daily” on set.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Flanagan was asked about Johansson’s lack of horror movies on her resume. The director noted that “She doesn’t tend to watch or do horror films.” Still, while discussing Johansson tapping into her horror movie sensibilities, Flanagan offered a glowing review of her performance, praising her talent and calling it a “great sign.”
“Oh, it was awesome. I’ve never seen her give a performance like she gives in this movie. It is so raw. It is so intense. It is so cool. She brings so much to the screen. And it was also a delight because she was terrified daily of what was happening on set around her, which always makes me feel like we’re doing our job. If we’re scaring Scarlett in the scene, the audiences are going to be upset too, so that’s a great, great sign.”
The Exorcist: Martyrs was initially billed as a standalone entry in the franchise, but after the trailer debuted, many noted it may have deeper ties than originally suggested. The film shares numerous similarities with Exorcist III, down to the serial killer plot and even the poster. While Johansson is said to play someone named Miller, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest her character is the daughter of William Kinderman, the detective from Exorcist III. If you look closely at her badge in the trailer, Johansson’s character has a nameplate that says Kinderman.
If the film’s connection to Exorcist III proves true, it would give Johansson an even richer background to draw on for the character. Beyond the trailer’s glimpse of her son being possessed, an overarching legacy could add thrilling layers audiences weren’t expecting. What Flanagan and Johansson have already teased for the next franchise entry promises an exciting trip back to the series after the lackluster venture that was The Exorcist: Believer. Viewers can see Johansson’s performance when The Exorcist: Martyrs hits theaters on March 12, 2027.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
