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As the title of the 2025 film claimed, The Conjuring: Last Rites was set to be the final instalment in the horror franchise. Directed by Michael Chaves,
the fourth Conjuring film has shattered expectations with a franchise-best launch of $83 million in the US and $194 million globally for its opening weekend. A new report states that one more prequel is in the works. Here's what we know so far.
The Conjuring prequel in development with original director
According to Matt Belloni's Puck News, Warner Bros. is already planning yet another prequel after Annabelle and The Nun. However, filmmaker James Wan, who directed the first two Conjuring movies, will not be back. Wan stayed on as a producer in the franchise; he is now said to be in a pay dispute with Warner Bros. The filmmaker wants to be paid more as a producer on the films, and the studio is staying firm. Therefore, Wan could walk away from the film universe altogether.
Since its release on September 5, The Conjuring: Last Rites has taken the title of the biggest horror film ever, beating out the record previously held by It (2017). The Stephen King adaptation opened with $190 million.
ALSO READ: I Believe The Conjuring Last Rites Suffers From Franchise Fatigue... Why The Horror Does Not Scare Anymore
The Conjuring universe
The Conjuring films are based on the real-life investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The franchise was launched in 2013 with Wan directing the first film and its sequel. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) and The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) were both directed by Michael Chaves.
The fourth film is based on the real-life Smurl haunting, where a Pennsylvania couple claimed that their home was inhabited by a demon for 15 years during the 1970s and 1980s. The Conjuring has become the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time, hauling in $2.4 billion worldwide at the box office over the last 12 years.
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