‘Conjuring’ prequel movie in the works after ‘Last Rites’ breaks franchise box office records

Audiences haven’t seen the last of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who will return in another “Conjuring” movie.

A prequel film is in development at Warner Bros. and New Line, with short film director Rodrigue Huart in talks to direct. Franchise veterans Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote the two prior “Conjuring” films, 2023’s “The Nun II” and this September’s “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” are on board to pen the screenplay. No deals have closed at this time.

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” was billed as the final installment in the paranormal series. However it quickly became clear that wouldn’t be the case after the film became an outsized box office hit, earning a franchise-best $487 million globally.

It’s unclear whether Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will return for the upcoming cinematic entry after “Last Rites” concluded the story of the Warren family. This next chapter is expected to go back to the beginning and focus on the early years of the ghost hunting couple. That likely means that new actors will take over the helm of the “Conjuring” Universe.

Separately, “The Conjuring” is expanding to the small screen with HBO in development on a television series that will continue the story established in the feature films. Plot details have been kept under wraps but Nancy Won was recently hired as the show’s writer, executive producer and showrunner.

Across nine films (spinoffs include “Annabelle” and “The Nun”), the “Conjuring” universe has become the highest-grossing horror franchise in history with a combined $2.7 billion. Plus they’re often low-budget, which makes for bloody-good profit margins. James Wan created the occult-tilted property while Peter Safran has served as a producer on every installment.

Huart doesn’t have any feature credits to his name but has helmed several short films including “Transylvanie,” which won a jury prize at SXSW in 2024, as well as “Trigger” and “Real.” He’s also writing and directing “Suffer Little Children,” a remake of the 1976 Spanish horror film “Who Can Kill a Child?” for Paramount.

Source: Variety

--Agencies