There's a lot to be excited about at this year's NYCC, not least of which being the first trailer for Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs. The previous attempt at reinvigorating this iconic horror franchise didn't go so well, but if anyone can turn the ship around, it's the man behind The Haunting of Hill House and the new Carrie series.
IGN's Tom Jorgensen was able to sit down with Flanagan and take a deep dive into the trailer. Flanagan breaks down the key characters seen in this new footage and how the film builds on the foundation of the underrated gem that is The Exorcist III. Check out our video interview above or read on to see what he had to say about the film, including the all-important question of whether or not we'll hear "Tubular Bells" in the new film.
Tom Jorgensen for IGN: [Let's start with] the first shot of the trailer, which is Scarlett [Johansson] coming down the stairs into that crime scene. Explain why that was the image that you wanted to come right out of the gate with for this trailer.
Mike Flanagan: So when we were filming that, we had this incredible location. And I mean, if you're talking about The Exorcist and you have a staircase like that, it's kind of a requirement for a genre like this. That image, I think, not only evokes the descent of Scarlett's character into our story in a really profound way, but is also so evocative to me of the stairs from the original film and of the poster. If you look at the poster for The Exorcist III, check out that poster against that shot. It's kind of wild.
IGN: You mentioned The Exorcist III, and you've hinted prior to this that this movie is going to be taking some cues from that sequel. And I think you were maybe understating that a little bit from watching this trailer. What was so appealing about using The Exorcist III as the jumping-off point for this story?
Flanagan: The Exorcist III is an awesome movie. It's so underappreciated. Outside of the original, it's my favorite of the franchise. I think it's just a marvelous film. It's terrifying, it's sophisticated, it's beautifully acted. And the thing is that Blatty, both in the novel Legion on which it's based, and then in the film which he directed, is starting to play with the synthesis of two subgenres. And I think that's where I was like, "Aha, what a phenomenal idea. And there's so much we can do to take that idea and run with it." To harmonize a serial killer investigative thriller with the demonic possession story is something that I think that movie first tries to introduce and gives us a chance to truly run with, and that was irresistible.
IGN: Yeah, I'll tell you, I figured it was going to be relevant. I had actually not seen The Exorcist III before this weekend, and I just had something itching at me saying it was going to be relevant and that was a good investment of my time. And you're right, the movie is incredible.
IGN: This trailer is littered with references to the Gemini Killer. We have crucified victims, victims being mutilated in quite specific ways. What is this movie's relationship to the events of The Exorcist III? Do you consider this a direct sequel?
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