Since debuting over a decade ago, The Conjuring Universe has been one of the most popular horror franchises. Multiple mainline installments and various spinoffs have combined to bring in over $2 billion at the worldwide box office. With that kind of track record, everyone expected this fall’s The Conjuring: Last Rites to be a big hit. What surprised many was just how well the sequel performed. Last Rites wildly exceeded projections during its opening weekend, breaking notable records in its debut. Even though Last Rites was marketed as the final time fans would see paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren on the big screen, many find it difficult to believe Warner Bros. is truly closing the book on these characters. But director Michael Chaves has reaffirmed this is the end.
In an interview with ComicBook, Chaves stated that plans for The Conjuring Universe haven’t changed even though Last Rites dominated the box office. “It is done. This is the final chapter … that’s why we called it Last Rites,” he said. “It’s the last one. There’s no other Conjuring movies. It is absolutely the end.”
Even if there truly aren’t any more Conjuring films revolving around Ed and Lorraine Warren, it seems unlikely Warner Bros. will put the franchise to bed for good. The brand has proven to be much too popular to just shelve completely. In fact, plans have been put in motion for a TV series for HBO Max. A creative team has already been assembled, with Nancy Won serving as showrunner and Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires handling writing duties. No plot details have been revealed, but there’s potential for the TV show to revitalize The Conjuring Universe from a creative perspective, after the past handful of films received mixed reviews. A new medium could give WB an opportunity to flesh out the franchise’s intriguing lore and mythology and properly flesh things out.
In addition to the TV series, it also wouldn’t be a shock of WB found a way to keep The Conjuring Universe on the big screen. Spinoffs such as Annabelle and The Nun were very successful, proving there’s an audience for the franchise beyond just stories about the Warrens. The studio will likely be interested in exploring possible concepts for more spinoffs, whether it be another Annabelle movie or something new. This way, Ed and Lorraine’s ending can stay intact, but WB doesn’t have to say goodbye to one of its most prominent properties. The record-breaking performance of Last Rites likely means the studio will move forward with at least one more spinoff to test the waters.
While there are avenues available to produce more Conjuring content, it’s arguably for the best if the cinematic versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren are allowed to retire. In the age of shared cinematic universes and long-form storytelling, it’s easy to forget that sometimes it’s nice when narratives have a clear end, satisfyingly wrapping up character arcs and giving fans closure. Furthermore, an argument can be made that the mainline Conjuring movies were starting to lose steam; the third and fourth films received mixed reviews, a far cry from the positive reception of the first two installments. Rather than run the risk of diminishing creative returns, ending things now allows the main series to go off on the high note of having shattered box office records.
The Conjuring Universe has been great for WB over the years, but the studio has also seen original horror concepts still sell with moviegoers. Two of the biggest box office hits of the year are Sinners and Weapons, standalone features driven by a writer-director’s unique vision. Perhaps WB can embark on a mission to find the next great original horror film; the genre is typically known for modest production budgets, making it easier to take a chance on something. Maybe executives can find the next Conjuring.
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