Scarlett Johansson in a badge on a grim New York sidewalk isn’t the image fans expected from The Exorcist. Is this the first sign of a franchise exorcising its own demons or inviting new ones?
New York street corners just got a little more haunted as cameras roll on Mike Flanagan’s latest, with Scarlett Johansson photographed on set in what looks like a New York police inspector’s role. Shooting kicked off March 13, 2026 on location, and the ensemble is already stacked: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sasha Calle, Jacobi Jupe, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne. Plot details remain sealed, but the filmmaker behind Doctor Sleep, The Haunting and La Chute de la maison Usher knows how to mine dread. Half a century after William Friedkin’s 1973 The Exorcist and following a faltering 2023 sequel, this new chapter is steering toward a 2027 release.
The first on-set photos have landed, and they tell a story of grit and reinvention. Scarlett Johansson, in plainclothes and purpose, steps from a church in New York, signaling a bold pivot for The Exorcist. Mike Flanagan is directing, and production has been rolling since 3/13/2026. Early chatter suggests a course correction after the franchise’s recent misstep.
Filming begins with an impressive ensemble cast
The shoot is embedded in the city’s texture, using real streets and practical locations to ground the unease. Johansson is reportedly playing an NYPD inspector, a choice that reframes the investigation around possession. At her side, Chiwetel Ejiofor appears to be the priest, captured in those first images leaving the church.
Scarlett Johansson — NYPD inspector, lead role
Chiwetel Ejiofor — likely the priest
Sasha Calle — seen on set alongside the leads
Jacobi Jupe — rising talent from Hamnet
Diane Lane — Oscar-nominated for Infidèle
Laurence Fishburne — indelible since The Matrix
This is a rich ensemble, calibrated for texture, tension, and tempo. The streets are doing half the work; the cast seems poised to do the rest.
Mike Flanagan continues his horror legacy
Flanagan knows haunted institutions, from The Haunting to The Fall of the House of Usher. He also carried Doctor Sleep with quiet confidence, honoring Kubrick while finding his own rhythm. His method favors measured dread over cheap jolts, and characters who ache as much as they fear. That approach fits The Exorcist, where faith, doubt, and guilt become the battleground.
The legacy of The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s 1973 original set the bar, earning 10 Oscar nominations and grossing $441 million. The aftermath was uneven. Sequels came and went, shouldering the curse of comparison. The latest entry, The Exorcist: Dévotion (2023), fell flat (often listed as “Dévotion” in French coverage), sharpening appetite for a perspective that respects the canon while daring to reshape it.
Release expectations
The new chapter is slated for 2027. Expectations are high, but not just for spectacle. Fans want rigor, emotion, and a reason to believe again. With Johansson anchoring the human stakes and Flanagan steering tone and texture, the ingredients align. Can he reconcile reverence and reinvention? If those first photos are any signal, the answer might arrive with a shiver.