The Conjuring movies have been scaring audiences for well over a decade now, as Warner Bros. has created a unique and successful cinematic universe that goes head to toe with superhero franchises in both scale and success. Despite each film in the series having its own unique story, there’s a general formula to every story, with the studio blending supernatural horror with a gothic atmosphere, alongside characters inspired by real-life paranormal investigators. Each entry has expanded the mythology, introducing new threats for the Warrens, weaving together demons, cursed artifacts, and possessed families into one of Warner Bros.’ most lucrative properties.
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Interestingly, with the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites this past weekend, Warner Bros. has pushed the film as the grand finale of the series. It’s billed as a last chapter of sorts in the saga of Ed and Lorraine Warren, but as Halloween, Friday the 13th, and other iconic franchises have shown, iconic horror characters rarely stay away for too long. Despite this advertising, fans may expect to see many more Conjuring films in the future.
The “End” of The Conjuring Might Be the Beginning
The Conjuring: Last Rites is framed as the last hurrah of the Warrens, and although that adds more stakes to the story of the film, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the true end of the franchise. Notably, the film plants some hints that the story will continue and evolve moving forward. The ending moments, for example, show Lorraine Warren speaking about the legacy of her and her husband’s work, saying that they plan to “share knowledge with the next generation” in a shot that lingers on Judy, the couple’s daughter who has appeared throughout the series, and Tony, her new fiancé. It’s a telling message that comes across more like a blueprint for the franchise’s future rather than a farewell.
If Warner Bros. Discovery is indeed set on keeping the universe alive, then shifting the focus to Judy and Tony could be a way to do so. Both characters are now established in the story, and although the franchise would then be moving away from the true story aspect that they’ve always played on, it would allow the creators to take the story into a fresh new direction while still keeping things familiar. Much like how slasher icons like Jason have a new cast of characters to terrorize, The Conjuring now has a unique opportunity to reinvent itself by ushering in the new generation.
There are plenty of other ways that this franchise can continue, too, even without the presence of Ed and Lorraine. Spinoffs have been a crucial part of the success of this series since the very beginning, with The Nun a prime example of this. Despite mixed to negative reviews from both critics and fans alike, The Nun (2018) and The Nun II (2023) both proved to be massive box office hits for the studio, taking in over $500 million combined. Valak, the terrifying figure at the heart of those stories, plays a crucial role in the success and has become one of the horror genre’s most recognizable villains in recent history.
Given that success, this franchise could potentially move forward by bringing Valak back into the fold. It would be shocking if Warner Bros. Whether it’s a direct Nun III or a crossover appearance in another story, the character is clearly of interest to viewers. The base of the horror genre has always been its iconic characters, from Freddy to Jason, Michael Myers, and more. So, even if Last Rites is indeed the end of the Warrens’ story, there’s a sizable chance that this religious demon will come out to play once again at some point.
There are plenty of other areas of the Conjuring universe that can be explored further as well. Teased back in The Conjuring 2, The Crooked Man is a character that has long since been rumored to receive his own spin-off story, but the film has been stuck in development limbo for a number of years now. Still, The Conjuring 2 is one of the best-received films in the entire franchise, so revisiting an old character from that story could easily be a way to resurrect the franchise and deliver the next big scare.
There’s also Annabelle, arguably the center of the franchise’s assembly of demonic entities. The haunted doll already has three films of her own, with Annabelle: Creation existing as a unique case of a prequel surpassing its predecessor. Creepy dolls always appear to be interesting to horror fans, so a fourth Annabelle movie seems almost inevitable.
The often-overlooked The Curse of La Llorona may also play a part in the future of the franchise. The film wasn’t marketed as a part of the world of the Warrens, but the story itself revealed the truth with the appearance of Father Perez, a character who previously showed up in Annabelle. Though the film was a disappointment critically, it still turned a profit at the box office, which could be a signal that Warner Bros. Discovery is going to attempt a sequel that’s a more direct tie-in to the main saga. Other cursed artifacts housed in the Warrens’ famous room of horrors could also be spun off into standalone films, allowing the franchise to branch out without relying on the same handful of villains.
Box Office Success Means the Franchise Isn’t Going Anywhere
Ultimately, the Conjuring universe is unlikely to end with Last Rites for one simple reason: money. The new film opened to massive box office numbers, beating out It: Chapter One as the biggest opening weekend for a horror movie ever, showing just how bankable the franchise continues to be. Horror is one of the most reliable genres in the industry, often made on relatively small production budgets and yielding huge returns in comparison, and The Conjuring has consistently been one of the genre’s crown jewels.
Warner Bros. Discovery, therefore, has every reason to keep the franchise going, whether that be through sequels, spinoffs, or even potential TV projects for HBO Max. Fans may be saying goodbye to Ed and Lorraine (although even that is up in the air at this point). If anything, Last Rites serves as a shift for the franchise, with the overarching story branching out beyond its original leads while still delivering the scares that audiences look for.
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