Time to dust off the case files, for the on-screen adventures of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren are set to continue — of sorts. Following the record-breaking success of The Conjuring: Last Rites, Warner Bros. and New Line have greenlit a new prequel film in the franchise, with short film director Rodrigue Huart in talks to helm.
No other details were shared about the project, except that franchise veterans Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote 2023’s The Nun II and this year’s mainline outing, will return to pen the screenplay. Deals have yet to be finalised at the time of writing, and the involvement of The Conjuring Universe creator James Wan is unclear; the filmmaker is reportedly in a pay dispute with the studio over wages.
Also uncertain is whether the main leads, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, will reprise their roles or star in some capacity, having portrayed Lorraine and Ed, respectively, for 12 years. As the next outing is expected to focus on the early years of their career, it likely means a handover to a new pair of actors.
Separately, the future of The Conjuring is poised to take shape on the small screen. A TV series set in the ghost-hunting universe is currently in development at HBO, with Nancy Won (Jessica Jones) serving as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Peter Safran remains as executive producer, while Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires, who both worked on Agatha All Along and WandaVision, are on board as scriptwriters.
Directed by series regular Michael Chaves, who helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Last Rites is based on the real-life Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania. The R-rated pic collected a US$187 million global haul in its first weekend of release, setting a new milestone for the highest-grossing horror franchise, which has earned US$2.7 billion to date across nine films, including the Annabelle and The Nun spin-offs.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
