Watch: Scarlett Johansson in 'The Exorcist: Martyrs' trailer

The trailer for ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’, directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Scarlett Johansson in the lead, has been unveiled at Blumfest and New York Comic Con. The upcoming horror film introduces a new story in the iconic ‘Exorcist’ franchise, with Johansson playing an NYPD detective, caught between a murder investigation and an apparent biblical demonic force.Titled ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’, the film stars Johansson as Julie Miller, a single mother and police detective who finds herself confronting a case that appears to defy rational explanation. After witnessing the execution of serial killer Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo, Miller discovers that the killings have not stopped. Instead, a new wave of murders unfolds in increasingly disturbing and seemingly demonic circumstances.As she investigates the crimes, she is forced to consider whether the evil associated with the executed killer has survived and whether the case involves supernatural forces beyond her experience as a police officer.

WATCH: 'The Exorcist: Martyrs' trailer

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Laurence Fishburne play priests in ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’

The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Laurence Fishburne as priests who assist Miller with the investigation. Diane Lane, Sasha Calle and Jacobi Jupe round out the cast.Flanagan, known for horror projects such as ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Midnight Mass’, has frequently used supernatural narratives to explore grief, trauma and the fears.

With ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’, the filmmaker returns to religious horror, examining themes through supernatural storytelling.

Mike Flanagan on making horror films

Speaking to Esquire, Flanagan discussed the film's eerie theme, saying, “Part of the great thing about religious horror and part of the way we've used the horror genre since, I mean, geez, going back into the ancient world, is to try to take the horrors of being alive on the earth and confront them."“In fiction, we can stare the devil in the face,” he added.

When will ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’ release?

‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’ is scheduled to release in theatres on March 12, 2027. The film’s first trailer is set to debut on Friday, offering audiences an extended look at Johansson’s character and the supernatural threat at the centre of the story.