The Conjuring Universe is one of the most unique horror franchises to ever exist. While most horror properties (and yes, there are a plethora of ’em) take the form of numerous sequels, remakes, reboots, and requels, the “Conjuring” series is the first to adopt the model made famous by the Marvel Cinematic Universe: a “main” franchise supported by several smaller ones in its orbit. Thus, we have the three “Conjuring” films, the three “Annabelle” pictures, the two “Nun” movies, and (depending on who you’re talking to) the outlier, “The Curse of La Llorona.” Ironically, the “Conjuring” property also adopted the growing pains that the MCU experienced in its early days, for while there was a general set path for each — in Marvel’s case, it was decades of comic book lore, and for the “Conjuring,” it was the real-life exploits of demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren — there wasn’t exactly a rigid plan, either.
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Thus, while the three main “Conjuring” films each cherry-picked a case file from the Warrens’ history to dramatize, the spin-off films went in their own directions, and increasingly featured implications that the Warrens could either make an appearance in them or might well be headed for a final showdown with them in the future. For instance, the final moments of “The Nun” reprised a scene from the first “Conjuring,” the mid-credits scene of “The Nun II” saw Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) answering a call for a mysterious new case, and “Annabelle Comes Home” largely takes place in the Warrens’ house, with Ed and Lorraine themselves appearing in supporting roles.
That latter film might’ve seemed like an indication of where the “Conjuring” universe may have been headed, and it looked like a very MCU-style destination. In “Annabelle Comes Home,” the Warrens’ daughter and a couple other characters are trapped in a house filled with the Warrens’ haunted collection of totems and trinkets, and thus must face a series of spooky adversaries, including the eponymous haunted doll. It was a monster mash movie that wasn’t quite an “Avengers”-type crossover film, but felt close to it. Now, on the eve of the release of what the franchise gurus are calling the final main “Conjuring” film, “Last Rites,” it seems that an “Avengers: Endgame” idea for the movie was indeed briefly considered before things pivoted.
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The Conjuring: Last Rites nearly saw all the prior ghosts and demons come back to haunt the Warrens
While conceiving “Last Rites,” director Michael Chaves (who also helmed “La Llorona,” “The Nun II,” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”) and the other members of the franchise’s think tank (including longtime producer Peter Safran) brainstormed what to do with this concluding installment. As Chaves confessed to Entertainment Weekly (which also premiered some exclusive images from the film), the possibility of an “Avengers”-like movie cropped up — one that would’ve involved every former entity faced by the Warrens showing up to do paranormal battle. As he put it:
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“Even as we were developing it, we were throwing a bunch of ideas out: ‘How shamelessly big can we make it?’ ‘How epic can we make it?’ ‘Is this the culmination of all the demons coming to face them?'”
While the notion of having Ed and Lorraine fight a gauntlet of supernatural beasties was tempting, ultimately, cooler heads prevailed. Chaves admitted that he wanted to keep things low-key, saying “I felt strongly that the biggest, most emotional story we could tell was the most personal story.” This notion also extended to the idea of any team-ups, too, yet another franchise idea which the MCU has only continued to indulge in. So, Sister Irene from the “Nun” films, played by Vera Farmiga’s real-life sister, Taissa, will not appear, and even the Warrens’ daughter Judy (played by Sterling Jerins in the prior “Conjuring” films and Mckenna Grace in “Annabelle Comes Home”) will be played by a new actor, Mia Tomlinson.
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Last Rites will be a more personal concluding chapter, but the Conjuring universe may not be dead yet
As explained by James Wan, the producer and director of the first two “Conjuring” films, “Last Rites” is intended to keep the focus firmly on the Warrens rather than try and create some outsized finale:
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“The beating heart of this franchise is Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson playing Ed and Lorraine. The family dynamic, the faith the characters have, and the faith that they have in each other are really the things that drive this particular franchise. I do think that’s what people love about it. At least for me and Peter Safran, it’s really about finding a way to tell the stories of these characters and to wrap them up in a way that feels respectful to where we started with them.”
Chaves echoed Wan’s statement, saying that “Last Rites” wound up really feeling “like a proper ending to get back to the heart of the franchise, the family of it all.” Thus, “Last Rites” is set in the mid-1980s, a period when the Warrens were retired from the supernatural grind, and sees the couple called back into action for one last case. This case, the Smurl family haunting, is one that, similar to the Lutz family’s experiences in Amityville during the 1970s, was a heavily publicized and debated supernatural event of its time, spawning a book as well as a 1991 made for TV movie. Farmiga teased the way the film will bring the Warrens’ story to a close, saying that “This one’s different than the others. The other three were about hauntings, and this one is about reckoning, in a way.”
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Yet even though Farmiga, Wilson, Wan, and Chaves seem adamant that this film is the last cinematic go-round for the Warrens, it seems that this may not be the end of the “Conjuring” universe per se. The previously announced Max “Conjuring” series is still in development, and the head of New Line Cinema, Richard Brenner, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter a few months ago, claiming that “Last Rites” was “the last of what we call phase one.” He then responded to a follow-up query, saying that “phase two is TBD.” That isn’t much to go on, but it appears that while the Warrens may be hanging up their rosaries and crosses, perhaps we haven’t seen the last of the various Nuns and Annabelles yet. Like anything when it comes to the supernatural, keep your eyes peeled, and try to have faith.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” will begin haunting theaters on September 5, 2025.