Cinematic universes are now the latest trend in movies, and when it comes to big franchises, The Conjuring makes it to the top. The superhero genre made it possible to interweave stories and create one epic saga, and little did fans know that the realm of horror films has unknowingly been following the trend for years.
The Conjuring is undoubtedly the most well-known horror franchise today, spanning eight movie installments and each offering spine-chilling tales of terror and fear. James Wan, the filmmaker behind these stories, was not even aware of the universe he had created.
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The Conjuring Director Sheds Light On The Expansion Of The Franchise
In his recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director James Wan discussed how Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line’s The Conjuring cinematic universe came to life:
“It happened organically, but in the back of our minds, we always knew that the Warrens investigated so many different cases and that they had a museum of haunted artifacts. So, even while working on the first movie, we would spitball ideas, like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a spinoff movie or a TV series where we touch on the different haunted artifacts in their museum?’”
From this statement, it is evident that Wan wished to expand the franchise and spin more stories based on the mother concept:
“And that was really how the idea for Annabelle (2014) came about. Annabelle is the crown jewel of the Warrens’ collection, and so a spinoff movie was a natural stepping stone. And after Annabelle became successful, we realized that The Conjuring could become the mothership to spawn other stories.”
The Conjuring is based on the true story of two paranormal investigators and self-professed demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. The first installment was released in 2013, followed by a sequel in 2016. The latest project came out in 2021.
The spinoffs include Annabelle and its sequel, released in 2014 and 2017, followed by The Nun which came out in 2018. The Curse of La Llorona premiered in 2019, and the same year, Annabelle Comes Home hit the theaters.
Fans will soon be at the edge of their seats as the sequel to The Nun will scare moviegoers this September 8. Meanwhile, the fourth installment of The Conjuring series is reportedly in the works. While the film has no director attached yet and no official release date announced, fans could expect Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga to lead the franchise again.
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The Conjuring Is Being Developed For Television
As if there aren’t any more surprises from The Conjuring franchise, the chilling tales of horror will be translated into the small screen following news of its upcoming launch on Max streaming platform. The untitled TV series will be produced by Wan’s Atomic Monster Productions and Peter Safran’s The Safran Company.
Wan highlighted in his interview with Collider his reflections on the upcoming projects, specifically the final installment and the planned Max series:
“We kind of want to just take our time to make sure we get it right and to make sure the emotion of the Warren stories that we want to tell, and moving into, and potentially wrapping up, we just want to make sure that it’s the right thing, the right story that we’re telling.”
HBO Max, officially rebranded last May 23 as Max, added 40 new movies and shows to enjoy from Warner Bros Discovery. The Conjuring is available on Max, Netflix, and Prime Video.
Sources: THR, Collider
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