Following a lull period at the box office, The Conjuring: Last Rites returns to resuscitate it with record debut numbers from both domestic and international markets. The ninth instalment in The Conjuring Universe (and the fourth in the mainline series) has collected US$83 million in its first weekend of release in the U.S and US$104 million overseas for a combined haul of US$187 million.
The figure ranks it as the best opening in the franchise’s history, with worldwide earnings surpassing twice the initial expectations of US$50 million. It’s also the third-biggest horror debut of all time, marking another victory for Warner Bros. and joining the ranks of 2017’s It and its 2019 sequel, It: Chapter Two, which garnered US$123 million and US$91 million at the domestic box office, respectively.
Directed by franchise regular Michael Chaves, who helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the R-rated movie is based on the Warrens’ real-life investigations of the Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania. It stars Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) and Patrick Wilson (Fargo) in their final outing as Lorraine and Ed Warren, but that doesn’t mean the end of the franchise — merely Phase One of The Conjuring Universe, which is the highest-grossing horror franchise in history with a total of US$2.3 billion to date.
The series kicked off with 2013’s The Conjuring, which opened to US$41 million at the domestic box office, not adjusted for inflation. The Nun would break the record in 2018 with a US$53.8 million debut, after the release of Annabelle (2014), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and Annabelle: Creation (2017). The spin-off featuring the titular demon named Valak saw a sequel in 2023.
The Conjuring: Last Rites comes amid a horror cinema renaissance, with Sinners becoming one of the most successful original movies in the last 15 years, Final Destination: Bloodlines scoring a series-best gross at the end of its theatrical run, and Weapons earning US$252 million worldwide on a US$38 million budget.
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.
