What began on July 19, 2013, when The Conjuring opened nationwide to terrify audiences, comes to an end with the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, the final installment of the main franchise of films. It’s a significant time for the IP because, while a universe of spin-offs has been created in the wake of the franchise’s success, they have coincided with the main films still running alongside them. Given the universe’s profitability, Warner Bros. is unlikely to have any interest in ending the franchise entirely. But without the Warrens on the periphery, where can it all go from here?
Outside the four Conjuring films that have been released, the Conjuring Universe also comprises Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, Annabelle Comes Home, The Nun, and The Nun II. There is also some debate over whether The Curse of La Llorona is part of the Conjuring Universe. The MCU of horror films has proven to be highly successful for Warner Bros., grossing over $2 billion globally on a combined budget of $208 million, and that’s not something that will go gently into that good night. James Wan and the studio have said there is a Phase 2 to all of this, with the mainline films coming to an end, but they also admit it’s a long way off. There is a world of spin-offs that have already been released, which they could focus on, or they can explore new territory. The question is, what direction are they more likely to take?
Are ‘The Nun’ and ‘Annabelle’ Worthy of Carrying the Torch?
The Nun franchise appears to be the easiest bet for several reasons. With the first movie taking place in 1952 and The Nun II following in 1956, there is a lot of time to play with that allows for more movies in that series to be made. Sure, The Demon Nun was banished at the end of the second movie, but that shouldn’t be hard to get around for even a third or fourth film in that franchise. Additionally, the image of the Nun, alongside Annabelle, has gained widespread recognition among horror fans since its introduction in The Conjuring 2. A key question is whether Bonnie Aarons could return as the titular character. She previously sued Warner Bros., New Line, and Scope Productions for breach of contract, alleging unpaid merchandising royalties using her likeness.
The problem with the Nun franchise is that it hasn’t lived up to its promise creatively. Both films have been financially successful, with The Nun grossing $366 million worldwide on a $22 million budget and The Nun II pulling in $269.5 million globally on a $38.5 million budget, but they aren’t exactly beloved critically. The first film received a 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second improved to a still subpar score of 52%. Does the studio want to hang the franchise’s hat on an IP that hasn’t really registered on a creative level? Although the films have been financially successful, the second movie earned less than the first, suggesting that future installments may see declining returns unless improvements are made.
The Annabelle franchise is an interesting mixed bag. The first movie made considerable money, but it was also creatively bankrupt, with a 28% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Fortunes were reversed with the release of the prequel, Annabelle: Creation, which improved to a 70% on the aggregator site and is considered by many fans to be the best of the spin-offs so far. Annabelle Comes Home dropped a few notches to 64%, but it’s clear that beyond the first two Conjuring films, the Annabelle franchise has some creative life left in it, should it be explored wisely.
The future Annabelle franchise seems easy to navigate, as they need to come up with a compelling reason for the doll coming into contact with someone new. At the end of Annabelle Comes Home, the doll is locked away in its case once again, but that seems like a minor nuisance to get around to creating another tale surrounding the haunting instigated by the titular doll. After Annabelle Comes Home was released, the studio expressed interest in continuing the series, provided there was a compelling story to tell.
Could Judy Warren and More Prequel Stories Be the Answer?
Judy Warren, portrayed by Mia Tomlinson in The Conjuring: Last Rites, is another way to keep the franchise going in some capacity. It would need to differentiate itself in a major way from the previous Conjuring films. Still, with her being gifted (or cursed) with Lorraine’s (Vera Farmiga) ability to connect with supernatural forces, she could represent a new generation of cases that she takes on alongside her husband, Tony Spera (Ben Hardy).
Should this not continue in film form, an HBO Max series was previously announced, and that could be another way to keep the universe going. There has also been interest expressed by Madison Lawlar and Orion Smith, who portray young Lorraine and Ed in Last Rites, in continuing in that capacity for prequel projects, which could include their investigation of the Amityville Haunting.
There is still potential for a Crooked Man spin-off, which was initially considered for a theatrical release after its introduction in The Conjuring 2. The project was in development, beginning in 2017, and even had Mike Van Waes attached as a screenwriter, who would work from an original story created by Wan. The film has languished in development since its announcement, with The Nun receiving priority over tales featuring The Crooked Man. By 2022, the project was revealed not to be moving forward, but Wan recently expressed that he would love to get the film back on track.
Wherever The Conjuring Universe goes next, the franchise is too lucrative for Warner Bros. to leave dormant. The wheels are likely turning as they try to determine Phase 2 of the universe, and let’s hope they tackle it with some new ideas that will make the franchise feel fresh and, most importantly, scary again. The Conjuring: Last Rites is in theaters now.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
2
/5
- Release Date
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September 5, 2025
- Runtime
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135 Minutes
- Director
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Michael Chaves
- Writers
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David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Ian B. Goldberg, Richard Naing, Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan
- Producers
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Peter Safran, James Wan
