@cars.engine.rebuild: Mike Flanagan Says Writing His New Exorcist Movie Made Him “Wildly Uncomfortable” Mike Flanagan has spent years making horror. But writing The Exorcist: Martyrs pushed him into territory that even he found uncomfortable. “There were times I’d be typing words and going, ‘Whew! Haven’t gone here before,’” he told Entertainment Weekly. The filmmaker said that feeling became even clearer when he saw his cast reacting to scenes on set. His explanation? A level of cruelty in the story that goes beyond where his work usually takes him. “It made me wildly uncomfortable, which I think it should.” The movie, due in 2027, blends a serial k*ller investigation with demonic possession. Its first teaser debuted at New York Comic Con. Scarlett Johansson plays Julie Miller, a New York City homicide detective and mother. She catches Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo, whose m*rder scenes mirror the martyrdoms of Catholic saints. But after his execution, the m*rders continue. Flanagan drew inspiration from The Exorcist III and crime thrillers including Seven and Zodiac. He wanted the film’s world to feel “dangerous” and “unsafe.” His longtime collaborator Samantha Sloyan described the contrast between its beautiful visuals and terrifying events. But Johansson’s character brings another important difference. As Flanagan explained, Julie’s job requires her to move toward the darkness, pursue it, and question it. She approaches the horror as a detective. “That posture changes everything,” he said. “It changes absolutely everything.” What do you think of combining a detective thriller with an Exorcist story? #MikeFlanagan #TheExorcistMartyrs #ScarlettJohansson #HorrorMovies #MovieNews

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Saturday 10 October 2026 00:02:17 GMT