Scarlett Johansson is stepping into one of horror’s best franchises with The Exorcist: Martyrs. The 15-second preview introduces Johansson as NYPD homicide detective Julie Miller and hints at a case that goes beyond the natural.

The film is written and directed by Mike Flanagan, the filmmaker behind The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. Flanagan has taken a different route with this chapter of the franchise. Martyrs is a story on its own and not a continuation of 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer.

Johansson plays Julie Miller, a homicide detective and single mother raising her 12-year old son, Max, played by Jacobi Jupe. Her job affects her family life, with her mother, Mary, played by Diane Lane, helping care for Max.

Photo: Universal Pictures and Blumhouse

The case at the crux of the story begins with a serial killer known as Father Sunday, played by John Leguizamo. Julie apprehends him and is present when he is executed. However, his death does not end the killings. New murders emerge, and they appear to be connected to the brutal martyrdom of Catholic saints.

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Flanagan said the movie combines the investigation style of films such as Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs with the supernatural horror of The Exorcist. The investigation gradually forces Julie to confront the possibility that the evil behind the murders cannot be explained through ordinary means.

The teaser keeps much of that story hidden, but its imagery establishes the film’s dark atmosphere. Johansson’s character is shown dealing with an increasingly disturbing situation, while the presence of Father Sunday suggests his influence remains after his execution. The preview also hints at the threat surrounding Julie’s investigation. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Father William, a former prison chaplain who presided over Father Sunday’s execution. According to Flanagan, the experience leaves Father William struggling with his faith. Laurence Fishburne also appears as another priest who becomes involved when the supernatural threat begins reaching Julie’s family.

Photo: Universal Pictures and Blumhouse

Sasha Calle plays fellow NYPD detective Gina Restrepo, who works alongside Julie as the investigation develops. The cast also includes Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Gil Bellows, Carl Lumbly, Robert Longstreet, Matt Biedel, Samantha Sloyan, Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Benjamin Pajak and Carla Gugino.

Flanagan  made it clear that he does not want Martyrs to simply recreate William Friedkin’s 1973 classic. He has cited William Peter Blatty’s Legion, the novel behind The Exorcist III, as an influence on the film.

The first full trailer of The Exorcist: Martyrs is scheduled to arrive on October 9. The film will be released in U.S. cinemas on March 12, 2027.

Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, is facing a potential loss of up to $150 million after opening far below expectations at the box office.

The Alejandro González Iñárritu directed film earned about $8 million in the US and Canada during its opening weekend and another $12 million internationally, bringing its worldwide opening to roughly $20 million.

Photo: Waner Bros/Everett Collection

The opening is significant given the money invested in the production. Warner Bros. publicly placed the production cost at about $125 million, while industry estimates have put the budget closer to $160 million to $180 million. Marketing is estimated to have cost an additional $100 million.

That puts significant pressure on Digger to generate hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide to approach profitability. Industry estimates have placed the film’s break-even point between $300 million and $350 million, leaving a potential theatrical loss of approximately $150 million to $200 million if its box-office performance does not improve substantially.

Photo: Waner Bros/Everett Collection

The opening is notable given the film’s director and lead actor. Cruise is a major international box-office star, while Iñárritu previously directed Birdman and The Revenant.

The film has also received a 51% Rotten Tomatoes score and a C+ CinemaScore. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil executive whose drilling operations contribute to an unfolding environmental crisis.

Wearing prosthetics and gray hair, Cruise plays a character that differs from the action roles he has taken on in recent blockbusters. The performance also places him in a satirical drama directed by an Oscar-winning filmmaker, instead of the action-driven productions that have defined much of his recent theatrical run.

Photo: Waner Bros/Everett Collection

For Warner Bros., the film’s opening numbers leave a substantial gap between its current box-office performance and the estimated revenue required to break even.

If its theatrical run does not improve substantially, Digger could finish among the year’s biggest box-office disappointments.

The latest trailer for Street Fighter makes one thing clear: director Kitao Sakurai is not trying to make Capcom’s fighting-game franchise look like an ordinary action film. The footage embraces the characters, signature moves and heightened style that have defined the games, while placing Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li at the centre of a story set in 1993.

Andrew Koji plays Ryu, with Noah Centineo as Ken Masters and Callina Liang as Chun-Li. Ryu and Ken have become estranged when Chun-Li brings them together for the World Warrior Tournament. Behind the competition, however, is a conspiracy that forces the two former friends to confront their past and each other.

The tournament brings several of the franchise’s most recognisable fighters into the same story. David Dastmalchian plays M. Bison, Jason Momoa is Blanka, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson plays Balrog and Cody Rhodes takes on Guile. Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i plays Akuma, Orville Peck is Vega, Andrew Schulz plays Dan Hibiki, Vidyut Jammwal plays Dhalsim and Olivier Richters plays Zangief. Hirooki Goto appears as E. Honda, while Rayna Vallandingham plays Juli and Alexander Volkanovski plays Joe. Kyle Mooney and Melanie Jarnson also appear as Marvin and Cammy.

Photo: YouTube

The casting brings together actors with performers from professional wrestling, music, comedy and combat sports. Momoa is also one of the film’s producers, alongside Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Takayuki Nakayama and Stefan Makhoul.

Sakurai’s approach is central to the film’s identity. The director has said he wanted to make something that did not feel like a conventional video-game movie, while retaining the nostalgia attached to the games.

The trailers reflect that decision. Ryu uses his Hadoken, Ken performs the Shoryuken and E. Honda demonstrates his Hundred Hand Slap. Chun-Li’s fighting style is also featured, while Dhalsim’s stretching abilities, M. Bison’s Psycho Power and other familiar techniques are brought into the live-action setting.

The references extend beyond individual moves. An earlier trailer showed Ken attacking a car, recalling the vehicle-destruction bonus stages associated with Street Fighter II. The characters’ costumes and appearances also remain close to their game counterparts rather than being redesigned into conventional martial-arts film attire.

Photo: YouTube

The latest footage gives E. Honda particular attention, while Blanka’s appearance relies on visual effects. Guile is shown in his familiar military-inspired look, although the trailers have not yet prominently featured his signature Sonic Boom or Flash Kick. Another brief detail shows Ryu with glowing red eyes, though the footage does not explain the significance of the moment.

The trailer also leans into the exaggerated qualities of the source material. Bright costumes, stylised combat and the fighters’ unusual abilities sit alongside the more conventional elements of the tournament story, keeping the film closely connected to the visual language of the games.

The promotional campaign has followed the same approach. When the latest trailer was released in Japan, Paramount and Legendary accompanied it with a World Warrior Tour event in Tokyo featuring members of the cast and Sakurai. The trailer was also launched as an interactive YouTube experience, allowing viewers to follow prompts and perform virtual Street Fighter combinations while watching the footage.

Photo: YouTube

Behind the film is a production team with direct ties to the franchise. Sakurai directs and co-writes the screenplay with T.J. Fixman, while the story is credited to Dalan Musson and Gary Dauberman. The film is produced by Legendary Pictures and Capcom, with Paramount Pictures handling its theatrical release. Nakayama, the director of Street Fighter 6, is also among the producers.

This is the third live-action Street Fighter film, following the 1994 adaptation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and the 2009 Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. The new film takes a different approach, keeping the franchise’s arcade identity visible through its characters, fighting techniques, costumes and tournament setting.

Street Fighter is scheduled to open in cinemas on October 16, 2026.