For many horror fans The Conjuring is one of the best horror movies of the 2010s and--quite possibly--of all time. The 2013 horror release was a financial success, earning over $319 million at the box office, paving the way for two direct sequels and an entire Conjuring Universe of films. It seemed like a no-brainer when it was announced in late 2022 that a fourth Conjuring movie project was in the works with all the main players behind and in front of the camera returning. But, according to the franchise’s long-running producer and frequent principal series director, James Wan, the fourth might be the final installment, at least for actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson’s Ed and Lorraine Warren.
James Wan has been promoting the upcoming horror movie release, M3GAN, which he produced alongside frequent collaborator Jason Blum. During one of these conversations, Wan was asked about the fourth Conjuring movie and his future plans for the franchise. The filmmaker said he is “very precious” about the series. He also said movement on the next film is going slow because he wants to ensure the emotions are suitable for the potential “wrap-up” of the Warren’s story. The director told Collider:
Yeah, we are working on it right now. With the Conjuring films, we are very precious about [them]. And so we kind of want to just take our time to make sure we get it right and to make sure the emotion of the Warren stories that we want to tell, and moving into, and potentially wrapping up, we just want to make sure that it’s the right thing, the right story that we’re telling.
The moviemaker's comments suggest that the next installment in the Conjuring universe could very well be the last, or at the very least, the last starring Farmiga and Wilson. However, when pressed by the interviewer, Wan was not ready to confirm anything for sure. Wan continued:
We never know. You never know. We’ll see.
I'd hope we Conjuring fans remain optimistic that more future installments could be in our future, though while it's not a “No,” his answer is certainly not a “Yes” either... Perhaps the continuation of the series hinges on the box office performance of the confirmed spinoffs and the next chapter in the main series?
Only a little is known about the Conjuring 4. Stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are set to return, along with Wan as producer and Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. However, no director has been confirmed for the fourth installment, and Devil Made Me Do It director, Michael Chaves, is currently busy helming the prequel/sequel The Nun 2. The follow-up to the first The Nun is set to see Taissa Farmiga return as Sister Irene. Who knows, maybe before the curtains close on the Conjuring Universe, we can see a family team-up of the Farmiga sisters. That is a crossover event this horror fan would love to see!
We at CinemaBlend will update you if there are any updates regarding The Conjuring 4 or The Nun 2. Until then, check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to plan your next cinema experience.
