The Conjuring: Last Rites Won’t Be the Final Chapter, Right?

The Conjuring franchise was already a box-office powerhouse before its latest entry, The Conjuring: Last Rites, recorded what was then the largest opening weekend in horror history. Marketed as the capstone to James Wan’s long-running saga, the film grossed $194 million worldwide and eclipsed the 2017 benchmark set by Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Predictably, Hollywood’s reaction to that kind of financial success is simple: find a way to make another one.

That approach has fueled the franchise for more than a decade, ever since paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) first debuted in Wan’s 2013 original, The Conjuring. Wan—who directed the inaugural Saw—has transitioned into a producing role across the franchise, shepherding successive installments. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the ninth film in the universe and was promoted as the final chapter in the Warrens’ story.

Still, Warner Bros. and New Line signaled they might continue to mine the property. Reports from Puck indicate New Line is developing a Conjuring prequel—distinct from the Annabelle prequel strand and the planned Conjuring series in development for HBO Max.

Image: Warner Bros. 

Wan has not returned to the director’s chair for the Conjuring installments since 2016’s The Conjuring 2, though he has remained involved as a producer. His company, Atomic Monster, completed a merger with Blumhouse Productions last year, a development that has added complexity to Warner’s efforts to expand the franchise—especially when negotiations around creative control and compensation are unresolved.

According to the Puck reporting, Wan and Warner have been at odds over the financial terms for his participation in future Conjuring projects, a dispute that will likely need resolution before any new installments move forward. Whether the studio secures Wan’s continued involvement or elects to proceed without the original creative force, it’s hard to deny the franchise’s formidable box-office appeal.

Source: Polygon