Turns out we administered Last Rites too soon. Just last week, The Conjuring: Last Rites director Michael Chaves declared the franchise to be done. “This is the final chapter,” he said. “It’s the last one. There’s no other Conjuring movies. It is absolutely the end.”
And yet, reliable insider Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that a Conjuring prequel is in the works. According to Kit, Rodrigue Huart is in talks to direct the film, which doesn’t yet have a name. And why, you might ask, would Warner Bros and New Line Cinema reverse a course they so strongly proclaimed as set? The second half of Kit’s tweet points to the answer: “This is a go movie for New Line, especially after LAST RITES has now grossed almost half a BILLION dollars ($487M to be more precise).”
Sacrificing principles for the sake of money? Well, The Conjuring franchise is about Ed and Lorraine Warren, two real-world paranormal investigators repeatedly and credibly accused of scamming the people who needed their help. When portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, the Warrens are a loving couple, deep in their faith and devotion to one another, which makes them unique heroes in a horror franchise. It’s no surprise that people would flock to see their adventures, even after James Wan moved on from The Conjuring following its first sequel and left it in the much-lesser hands of Chaves.
Of course, The Conjuring hasn’t been all about Wan, or even the Warrens. The series has spun out into a successful franchise, with movies focused on killer doll Annabelle, the Nun, and, even the monster from Mexican folklore La Llorona. The Warrens may be connected to all of these films, but they aren’t the center.
