The Conjuring Stars Say Franchise's Love Story Keeps Them Coming Back

Central to all of the movies in The Conjuring universe are the (fictional) versions of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga on the big screen. The pair may not be in every movie in the larger Conjuring universe but their story and their place in the world is what drives everything. Speaking during a press conference for the upcoming The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the third main series film in the franchise, both actors said that the love story between their characters is one of the keys to the success of the movies as a whole but also what keeps bringing them back as talent for the projects.

"They are (a) personification of love. It is a love story for me," Farmiga said. "It's more of a love story than it is a horror story to me, and that's what makes it so unique and successful, and that's why I enjoy coming back. I think that message of love, not only the Warrens for each other, but for the work that they do, and for the people that they help, that selflessness, that compassion, that embodiment of love is really, really something Holy, and special, and that makes it digestible, and beautiful."

Wilson agreed, noting that the conversations he had with filmmaker James Wan on the first The Conjuring movie was all about how the structure of that movie and subsequent films would be their characters as a through line. "That's something that one that sets us apart from other horror franchises," Wilson said. "You're following the good guys throughout, instead of the villain."

The bond between the two will be important for the newest film, which Wilson says has "some of the darkest moments of any in the universe," but those dark beats will always been answered with love.

Wilson adds, "You had with the Elvis moment, the second one, or us dancing at the end of the second one, you have those moments in this of just this deep profound romance, because we don't go halfway with either. If you're going to have these terrifying scares, then we want to have the most full of love moments that you can, because it does become very operatic."

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on June 4.