In fact, if Warner Bros. and New Line have their way, there will certainly be more. According to The InSneider, a prequel movie is now in development.
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Details are somewhat scarce on the movie so far, but we do know that Rodrigue Huart, who has seen success in the short film arena, is in talks to direct.
Right now, the story is a mystery, beyond the notion that it’ll turn the clock back to the early days of Ed and Lorraine Warren, as played in the main ‘Conjuring’ franchise by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Whether either actor will be back for bookend scenes, it seems more likely that new people will be stepping into the roles.
What we do know is that Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote 2023’s ‘The Nun II’ and this year’s ‘Last Rites’ are aboard to script this new movie.
What else is happening in the ‘Conjuring’ universe?
A TV spin-off of the movies has been in the works for some time, and recently hired Nancy Won, a veteran of shows such as Apple TV‘s ‘Sunny’, Netflix‘s ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ on Hulu to be showrunner, executive producer and head writer for the series.
Plot information is unavailable right now, but the show will apparently continue the story in some fashion, likely without using the Warrens (but we won’t count them out).
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
When will this ‘The Conjuring’ prequel movie be in theaters?
With none of the deals officially in place yet, we wouldn’t expect this next chunk of scare tactics to be out much before 2027 at the earliest.
Sam Neill in ‘Event Horizon’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
In 2047, a group of astronauts are sent to investigate and salvage the starship ‘Event Horizon’ which disappeared mysteriously 7 years before on its maiden voyage. With its return, the crew of the ‘Lewis and Clark’ discovers the real truth behind the disappearance of the ‘Event Horizon’ – and something even more terrifying.
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son (Ty Simpkins) inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
One night per year, the government sanctions a 12-hour period in which citizens can commit any crime they wish — including murder — without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Leo (Frank Grillo), a sergeant who lost his son, plans a vigilante mission of revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of a death-dealing avenger, he becomes the unexpected protector of four innocent strangers who desperately need his help if they are to survive the night.
Five years after surviving Art the Clown’s (David Howard Thorton) Halloween massacre, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliott Fullam) are still struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.
Set in 1982 in the suburb of Blackeberg, Stockholm, twelve-year-old Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a lonely outsider, bullied at school by his classmates; at home, Oskar dreams of revenge against a trio of bullies. He befriends his twelve-year-old, next-door neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson), who only appears at night in the snow-covered playground outside their building.
Cillian Murphy in 2002’s ’28 Days Later.’ Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Twenty-eight days after a killer virus was accidentally unleashed from a British research facility, a small group of London survivors are caught in a desperate struggle to protect themselves from the infected. Carried by animals and humans, the virus turns those it infects into homicidal maniacs — and it’s absolutely impossible to contain.
Obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, a deranged, sadistic serial killer abducts the morally wayward. Once captured, they must face impossible choices in a horrific game of survival. The victims must fight to win their lives back, or die trying…
Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. Rachel tracks down the video… and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery of the Ring so she can save herself and her son.
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
When twin brothers (Theo James) find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.
Drew Barrymore in ‘Scream’. Photo: Dimension Films.
A killer known as Ghostface begins killing off teenagers, and as the body count begins rising, one girl (Neve Campbell) and her friends find themselves contemplating the ‘rules’ of horror films as they try to survive a real-life one.
Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities.
When carefree teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her older boyfriend for the first time, she learns that she is the latest recipient of a fatal curse that is passed from victim to victim via sexual intercourse. Death, Jay learns, will creep inexorably toward her as either a friend or a stranger. Jay’s friends don’t believe her seemingly paranoid ravings, until they too begin to see the phantom assassins and band together to help her defend herself.
After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition. Their adventure soon goes horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground and they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty creatures. As their friendships deteriorate, they find themselves in a desperate struggle to survive the creatures and each other.
Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer (Ethan Hawke) and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
A brilliant toy company roboticist (Allison Williams) uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece (Violet McGraw). But when the doll’s programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
After returning from a wedding reception, a couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What ensues is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what either of them thought capable in order to survive.
Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Steve Freeling (Craig T. Nelson) lives with his wife, Diane (JoBeth Williams), and their three children, Dana (Dominique Dunne), Robbie (Oliver Robins), and Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), in Southern California where he sells houses for the company that built the neighborhood. It starts with just a few odd occurrences, such as broken dishes and furniture moving around by itself. However, when he realizes that something truly evil haunts his home, Steve calls in a team of parapsychologists led by Dr. Lesh to help before it’s too late.
When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.
Two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) adopts the newborn Damien (Harvey Stephens) without the knowledge of his wife (Lee Remick). Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) cares for his housebound mother.
A young couple, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes), moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
A fading celebrity (Demi Moore) decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself (Margaret Qualley).
Members of an American scientific research outpost in Antarctica find themselves battling a parasitic alien organism capable of perfectly imitating its victims. They soon discover that this task will be harder than they thought, as they don’t know which members of the team have already been assimilated and their paranoia threatens to tear them apart.
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd), must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren’t prepared for the madness that lurks within.
Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop’s daughter, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger (Robert Englund), who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers’ children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen (Johnny Depp), must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world…
When Sally (Marilyn Burns) hears that her grandfather’s grave may have been vandalized, she and her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), set out with their friends to investigate. After a detour to their family’s old farmhouse, they discover a group of crazed, murderous outcasts living next door. As the group is attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wears a mask of human skin, the survivors must do everything they can to escape.
12-year-old Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) begins to adapt an explicit new personality as strange events befall the local area of Georgetown. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) becomes torn between science and superstition in a desperate bid to save her daughter, and ultimately turns to her last hope: Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a troubled priest who is struggling with his own faith.
A scene from 1978’s ‘Halloween’. Photo: Compass International Pictures.
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
A ‘The Conjuring’ TV series is in development.
Nancy Won will be showrunner.
The series will be on HBO Max.
With the most recent entry of ‘The Conjuring’ cinematic horror franchise, ‘Last Rites’, delivering giant box office results, you knew there was going to be more.
And the news feels like the right time for an update on the gestating TV series that has been in development at HBO Max since 2023.
There are few details available about the show right now, though Variety’s report mentions that the show will continue some aspect of the ‘Conjuring’ storyline.
Whether that means any appearances of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the main characters (based on real-life supernatural investigators) remains to be seen, but we can imagine the show exploring its own corner of the universe.
There is, let’s not forget other avenues the show could exploit, including ‘The Nun’ and ‘Annabelle’ movie spin-off timelines, but chances are it’ll plough its own row.
The movie series’ Peter Safran remains onboard as an executive producer, with James Wan’s Atomic Monster company also producing. Wan, of course, launched the movie series with 2013’s ‘The Conjuring’.
Also hired for the show were writers Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who have Marvel shows and other genre work on their resumes.
What other movie spin-offs are headed to HBO Max?
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
Alongside the ‘Conjuring’ show, fellow horror franchise ‘It’ has its own spin-off hitting HBO Max starting October 26th called ‘IT: ‘Welcome to Derry’. It’s a prequel set in the 1960s.
And while it’s not strictly a spin-off from an existing movie, superhero series ‘Lanterns’ is part of the DC Studios universe and will include appearances from Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, whose character was introduced in ‘Superman’.
When will the ‘Conjuring’ series be on HBO Max?
Since it’s at such an early stage, there is no information yet on when the show might hit the streaming service.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ opened big at the global box office.
It represents the most successful launch for a ‘Conjuring’ movie.
And Warner Bros. is on a remarkable run.
The ‘Conjuring’ franchise –– launched back in 2013 by James Wan –– has been quite the reliable performer for Warner Bros., and this past weekend’s launch of latest entry ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ certainly kept that tradition alive.
‘Last Rites’, advertised as the final outing for Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, took in an impressive $83 million in its first three days.
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That makes it the most successful entry in a franchise that, via a run of nine movies including sequels and spin-offs, has earned $2.3 billion.
This ‘Last Rites’ launch was easily enough to win the box office here in the US, and with $194 million worldwide, it is also the most successful launch for a horror title globally, overtaking Warners’ own ‘It’.
The success of ‘Last Rites’ marks an impressive theatrical run for Warner Bros. as the seventh consecutive release to open above $40 million. No other studio has ever achieved that level of consistency at the box office.
It’s even more remarkable when you consider that earlier in the year, the studio had suffered a series of duds from 2024 and the initial months of 2024 including ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’, ‘Mickey 17’ and ‘The Alto Knights’.
Studio Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were at risk of being fired until the likes of ‘A Minecraft Movie’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Superman’ and more began a run of hits, with movies sticking around beyond their first weekend.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
Disney’s theatrical release of the filmed ‘Hamilton’ stage musical was a distant second, earning $10 million from 1,825 screens. It’s a solid start given that the movie has been on Disney+ since 2020.
(L to R) Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in ‘Togther’. Photo: Neon.
Opening in theaters on July 30th is the new horror movie ‘Together‘, which was written and directed by Michael Shanks.
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The film stars real-life married couple Dave Franco (‘Now You See Me‘) and Alison Brie (‘Somebody I Used to Know‘) as a couple who move to the countryside but find themselves encountering a mysterious force that horrifically causes changes in their bodies.
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Throughout the history of cinema there have been many great horror movie duos including married couples like the Woodhouses from ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘ and the Warrens from ‘The Conjuring‘ , partners like the Gecko brothers from ‘From Dusk Till Dawn‘ and Shaun and Ed from ‘Shaun of the Dead‘, or villains and heroes such as Freddy Krueger and Nancy Thompson from ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street‘ and Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling from ‘The Silence of the Lambs‘.
In honor of ‘Together’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best horror movie duos of all time!
(L to R) Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney in ‘From Dusk till Dawn’. Photo: Miramax Films.
After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.
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19. Gerry Lane and Karin Lane – ‘World War Z‘ (2013)
Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family seems content. Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. What follows is a perilous trek around the world where Lane must brave horrific dangers and long odds to find answers before human civilization falls.
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18. Annie Graham and Peter Graham – ‘Hereditary‘ (2018)
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie (Toni Collette) and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
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17. Jerry Dandridge and Charley Brewster – ‘Fright Night‘ (1985)
Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a high school student, accidentally discovers the true and creepy nature of Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), his dashing and enigmatic new neighbor; but no one seems willing to believe him.
Ash (Bruce Campbell), a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England’s Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
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15. ‘Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees – ‘Freddy vs. Jason‘ (2003)
(L to R) Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) and Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) in ‘Freddy vs. Jason’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Freddy (Robert Englund) enlists Jason (Ken Kitzinger) to kill on his behalf on Elm Street, after realizing that he can’t haunt dreams because people no longer fear him.
George Lutz (James Brolin), his wife Kathy (Margot Kidder), and their three children have just moved into a beautiful, and improbably cheap, Victorian mansion nestled in the sleepy coastal town of Amityville, Long Island. However, their dream home is concealing a horrific past and soon each member of the Lutz family is plagued with increasingly strange and violent visions and impulses.
The Candyman (Tony Todd), a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student (Virginia Madsen) researching the monster’s myth.
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12. Father Karras and Father Merrin – ‘The Exorcist‘ (1973)
When a charming 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair) takes on the characteristics and voices of others, doctors say there is nothing they can do. As people begin to die, the girl’s mother (Ellen Burstyn) realizes her daughter has been possessed by the Devil. Her daughter’s only possible hope lies with two priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller) and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism.
Having grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) lackey, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) finds a new lease on life — and maybe even redemption — when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).
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10. Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton – ‘Heretic‘ (2024)
(L to R) Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.
Two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
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9. Rosemary Woodhouse and Guy Woodhouse – ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘ (1968)
A young couple, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavettes), moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.
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8. Chucky and Andy Barclay – ‘Child’s Play‘ (1988)
An innocent-looking doll (Brad Dourif) is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who refuses to die.
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7. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley – ‘Scream‘ (1996)
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl (Neve Campbell) is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
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6. Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue – ‘The Substance‘ (2024)
A fading celebrity (Demi Moore) decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself (Margaret Qualley).
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5. Ed Warren and Lorraine Warren – ‘The Conjuring‘ (2013)
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Shaun (Simon Pegg) lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.
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3. Michael Myers and Laurie Strode – ‘Halloween‘ (1978)
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop’s daughter, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger (Robert Englund), who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers’ children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen (Johnny Depp), must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world…
(L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
(Left) ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ director James Wan at CinemaCon 2022. Photos by Eric Charbonneau. (Right) Scene from 1954’s ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
James Wan is in talks to develop a new take on ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’.
It’ll be another filmmaker-focused take on a classic from Universal.
Wan is also producing this movie among many others.
Long after it pivoted away from its plan for a connected “Dark Universe” of monster movies based on its classic titles, Universal has been seeing success (albeit mixed) with filmmaker-focused takes including ‘The Invisible Man’.
So it surely makes sense for the studio to have one of the biggest names in modern horror filmmaking and someone who has experience with watery stories ready to jump aboard a new version of ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’.
Which means we probably should all have predicted that ‘Saw’/‘The Conjuring’s James Wan, who also directed the two ‘Aquaman’ movies, would enter early talks for the movie.
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What’s the story of ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’?
A scene from 1954’s ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The 1954 monster movie, made in the gimmicky and popular 3D format, told of a prehistoric water-breathing humanoid monster and the group of scientists that want to study him.
It was the among the last of the Universal’s great monster movies, combining an entrancing mix of horror, tragedy, and romance, and introduced audiences to the Gill-Man, aka The Creature who is the last of his kind.
A scene from 1954’s ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Hollywood has been trying to crack a new take on the Creature for years, with John Landis looking to produce an iteration in the 1980s, while John Carpenter and even Ivan Reitman developed takes in the 1990s.
Gary Ross took it on in the 2000s, intent on following in his father’s footsteps — Arthur A. Ross co-wrote the script for the original — as did Breck Eisner.
And Will Beall wrote a script for a version of the Creature that would have been a part of the Dark Universe concept.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wan’s film would be a grounded, modernized retelling that will lean into visceral horror, while still paying respect to the original.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with this latest attempt.
Wan’s Atomic Monster company, which recently joined forces with Blumhouse, has a huge swathe of movies and TV series on the way, including a ‘M3GAN’ sequel, a spin-off to the killer doll movie called ‘SOULM8TE’ and a TV series called ‘Teacup’ based at Peacock.
Wan is also in development on a fourth installment of his wildly successful ‘Conjuring’ horror franchise, which he is describing as the final entry from the main storyline.
(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
Michael Chaves has closed a deal to direct the next ‘Conjuring’ Movie.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are likely to return as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The movie could signal the end of the main ‘Conjuring’ run.
The ‘Conjuring’ movies have long become one of the most successful horror franchises since James Wan made the 2013 original, which went on to earn nearly $320 million worldwide from a $20 million budget.
It has spawned not just sequels but also spin-offs, including the ‘Annabelle’ movies (about the diabolical doll who lurks in the Warren’s collection of haunted objects) and the ‘Nun’ films (which fill in the backstory of the demonic habit-wearer who briefly appears in ‘The Conjuring 2’. All told, the movies have so far made a combined $2.1 billion at the worldwide box office.
It’s somewhat surprising to learn, then, that the fourth –– which currently has no official title but was at one point called ‘Last Rites’ –– could bring the films to a close, at least those directly featuring paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
We do now know, though that Michael Chaves, who directed ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ (which isn’t technically part of the ‘Conjuring’ universe but has seen a character crossover into the ‘Annabelle’ movies and was produced by Wan), ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (the third in the main series), and, most recently, ‘The Nun II’ is officially aboard for the new movie.
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What’s the story of the new ‘Conjuring’ movie?
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Nothing has been released about the potential story for the new movie, though the end of ‘The Nun II’ saw Ed and Lorraine show up, pointing to a possible crossover between the main movies and the nun-centric spin-off.
Here’s what Chavez told Screen Rant about the connection back in September:
“In terms of the exorcism of Maurice, that’s always been a center, a cornerstone marker in the timeline and I think it’s up to interpretation. It’s also, I think there’s a lot of things that need to align, so it could go a couple different ways. As an audience member, I would 100% see a crossover of all Conjuring demons. I couldn’t give away what I know about what’s being developed, but I know that they’re going to end with a bang. I know that there is a great finale being planned for ‘Last Rites’ and as to what or who’s in it… I don’t want to give away any spoilers.”
Regular writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick returned for the new movie, and the cameras should be rolling this summer in Atlanta, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Who will be in the new ‘Conjuring’ movie?
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
We can assume Wilson and Farmiga will return, and possibly either McKenna Grace or someone else playing their daughter Judy. The movies have usually tended to be stand-alone cases, so a new cast around the leads is likely.
Even if the movies do come to an end –– and more spin-offs are likely anyway –– there is still the ‘Conjuring’ TV series in development at Max. The creative team has stayed quiet as to what that might include, but if greenlit, the series will surely continue to bring fresh terror.
(L to R) Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Opening in theaters on September 8th, ‘The Nun II’ attempts to wring more scares out of the demonic habit-wearer first glimpsed in 2016’s ‘The Conjuring 2’.
Unfortunately, despite some expressive performances from the likes of Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid and Jonas Bloquet, it falls back on some very tired tropes and giant plot contrivances.
‘The Nun II’, as you might expect, picks up the story of 2018’s ‘The Nun’.
1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The film follows Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun (Bonnie Aarons).
Given that Valak was not defeated at the end of ‘The Nun’, it’s in no way surprising that the demonic entity is back to cause more chaos, especially since we learned that Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) was possessed by the creature, and also returns here, this time working as a handyman at a girls’ boarding school in France.
At this point, almost anything from the main ‘Conjuring’ franchise (which, in case you forgot, sees Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson playing real-life paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren, who come up against some scary situations) that is even slightly popular with audiences ends up getting its own franchise.
So far, we’ve seen doll Annabelle spin-off for three movies, and demonic Nun Valak is now on her (its?) second. The first ‘Nun’ movie was directed by Corin Hardy, but for the second, we have ‘Conjuring’ franchise veteran Michael Chaves, who has so far shot spin-off ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ and third main ‘Conjuring’ entry ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’.
Here’s what we liked about ‘The Nun II’: the performances, by the returning likes of Taissa Farmiga (sister of Vera, though their onscreen roles are seemingly not connected beyond appearing in the same movie universe) and Bloquet are certainly committed, and Storm Reid, playing a fellow nun, is also a welcome presence in the film. Even if later on, they mostly just have to look wide-eyed in terror.
Chaves and cinematographer Tristan Nyby also bathe their movie in an effective wash of dark, European colors and the environs (shot in France) are convincingly creepy. The boarding school setting works for a horror movie, and also provides a batch of suitably scream-happy youngsters to respond to Valak’s terrifying tricks.
And talking of her actions, one or two of the scares are effective, one moment in particular involving a hook working to get the blood pumping. Unfortunately, there the praise ends.
Between Chaves and writer Akela Cooper (who has delivered genre fun via movies such as ‘Malignant’ and ‘M3GAN’), you might think that the stage was set for some original horror action. But that’s not really the case.
It seems churlish to castigate a horror movie for keeping to the tropes of its genre, but ‘The Nun II’ rolls out a laundry list of basic cliches that stop being entertaining after a while and will have you start to check your watch.
There are only so many times that Valak can pop up, either as itself or in some other form without warning and you wonder why people keep on screaming when all they have to do is wait a few minutes for the habitual horror to return.
Other scenes are even less effective, particularly one depiction of what is supposed to be the Devil, but which falls foul of what could be dubbed “satanic convenience” –– the creature is seemingly the prince of Hell, but at one point is stopped by a bunch of schoolgirls locking a big door.
Likewise, early in the movie, Valak slays a priest by setting him on fire (it’s this act that partly sends Sister Irene on her latest mission to track the demon down), but later on when it tries the same trick with someone more important, the convenient creature starts much slower, so that they can survive.
It’s just one frustrating element that derails the power of the film; for most of it, you feel like you’ve seen all of these moments a hundred times before and pulled off to more successful effect.
How many times, for example, have we seen a character roll or kick a ball into a dark corner in a seemingly empty, only to get a fright when it is kicked back by something or someone unknown? ‘The Nun II’s version, played out during an early scene, feels like nothing new on that front.
Likewise, the entire plot grinds to a halt when Irene seeks out Father Ridley (Hudson), a friend at the Papal archives (well, the ones in France) that has been researching Valak and other Hellspawn. While getting such information across to the audience is an unfortunate necessity, this scene has Ridley serve as Father Exposition, dishing out the details in such a way that it feels as though it’s being dumped on you.
Outside of the terror elements, even the schoolchildren feel like their story is straight from the Big Book of Movie Stories, with mean girls, young outsider heroines and the dedicated teacher all present.
‘The Nun II’ will certainly appeal to dedicated fans of this giant horror franchise, but feels unlikely to convert newcomers with a basic, often tired series of horrid happenings. We’re having none of it.
If you thought Annabelle was scary…wait till you meet GraeBelle, this week’s host of The Ms. Moviefone Show. She’s unimpressed by the demonically-pigtailed doll from Annabelle Comes Home, and isn’t afraid to say so to the stars and director. Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, McKenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, and director Gary Dauberman all fall under her spell. Pretty safe to say they i-doll-ize her. I’ll show myself out.
Annabelle wants a soul and what Annabelle wants, she gets.
A new “Annabelle Comes Home” trailer is here to fuel more of our nightmares in what’s turning out to be the summer of demonic dolls (there’s also Chucky in the new “Child’s Play”).
The newest entry in the “Conjuring” franchise takes place after Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) have acquired the doll and locked it up in a room filled with the evil, possessed items they’ve vanquished over the years.
But when they go out for the night, their daughter and two babysitters get overly curious about what’s in the room. Not-a-spoiler alert: Nothing good!
This Annabelle is the Queen Bee-deviler of them all, as she rounds up all the other creepy toys in a terrifying team-up. It seems like this film is setting up other spinoffs in the franchise by featuring glimpses of other evil items/icons, like Ferry Man, a creepy monkey toy, and even haunted coins.
