'The Exorcist: Martyrs' Is Mike Flanagan's "Scariest Thing" Ever, Cast Member Says

Mike Flanagan is about to release his latest horror project, Carrie, a modern adaptation of Stephen King’s debut novel, but the prolific writer-director’s next movie after that is already done filming. The Exorcist: Martyrs is set to release in theaters in March 2027, and we still know practically nothing about Flanagan’s take on the storied horror franchise.

So when Polygon had a chance to interview Samantha Sloyan, one of Flanagan’s go-to actors whose credits include Hush, Midnight Mass, Carrie, and The Exorcist: Martyrs, we had to ask a question about the upcoming movie. What we learned was extremely encouraging.

“I can't really say anything because the truth is I'm such a small component. I am really in and out,” Sloyan tells Polygon. “So I am going to leave that for people who truly own that movie.”

I think it's going to be probably the scariest thing that I've seen him do thus far.

“But I was really excited to be a part of it from the little that I saw just working there and what I could see on the monitors and stuff like that, it's absolutely a stunning movie and I think it's going to be probably the scariest thing that I've seen him do thus far. I'm very excited.”

For a filmmaker who’s built his career adapting classic horror for a modern audience (while also spinning up a few originals), that’s a very bold claim. It’s also reassuring for a project like The Exorcist: Martyrs, which needs to live up to the original (arguably the scariest movie ever made) while also removing the bad taste left behind by 2023’s critically panned The Exorcist: Believer.

Hopefully, Sloyan isn’t just being nice and Martyrs really is the scariest thing Flanagan has done yet. We'll have much more from Sloyan about her role in Carrie and her experience working with Flanagan over the years in another article soon. In the meantime, here’s everything else we know about The Exorcist: Martyrs.

What’s the plot of The Exorcist: Martyrs?

Nothing has been officially announced so far, but according to one report, the plot centers on a single-mother working as a police officer who helped arrest a satanic serial killer 13 years earlier. Now, her 12-year-old boy is being possessed by a demon, while a new string of murders seems to be connected to her past.

Who’s in the cast of The Exorcist: Martyrs?

Photo: Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios

The movie stars Scarlett Johansson (presumably as the cop, but again, that’s unconfirmed). The cast also includes child actor Jacobi Jupe (most likely as the son), Diane Lane (Man of Steel), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Backrooms), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Sasha Calle (The Flash), Carl Lumbly (Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and John Leguizamo (The Odyssey), who allegedly plays the earlier serial killer, Father Sunday. From Flanagan’s usual crew, we’ve got Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Carla Gugino, Samantha Sloyan, and Kate Siegel.

When is The Exorcist: Martyrs' release date?

The Exorcist: Martyrs releases in theaters on March 12, 2027.