The Conjuring 3 Likely to Lose Its September Release Date

The coronavirus pandemic has seen a number of movies earn release date delays, some by a few months and others by as much as a year, and while some fans are doubting if planned July releases will hit theaters as scheduled, a new report from Deadline claims that The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It could be looking at its September release being scrapped. As the pandemic progressed earlier this year, the only major film holding on to its July release date was Tenet, which first was pushed back by two weeks to the end of the month and has since been pushed to an August release, which is now causing doubts about what August or September movies could be forced to change their plans.

Deadline claimed sources offered them an update on the Conjuring sequel, which is currently slated to hit theaters on September 10th, though it might be delayed all the way until 2021. The report also notes that studios will likely reevaluate release strategies next week.

As it stands, some movie theater chains are hoping to open their doors in late July, after initial plans were for a mid-July reopening, only for the initial reopenings of non-essential businesses to see major spikes in coronavirus cases. This trend appeared to confirm that, despite some businesses utilizing best practices in regards to keeping customers safe, enough of these protocols were being ignored either by staff or patrons to result in the coronavirus spreading. Understandably, these numbers were a great cause of concern not only for audiences, but also for theaters, resulting in longer delays.

A potential delay might not mean that studios are assuming theaters will be closed in September, but some of the films that were set to hit theaters earlier this year, such as A Quiet Place Part II and Candyman, lost their release dates and are instead slated to open in September. If a new The Conjuring is headed to theaters, it will have to compete with not only those films, but also Halloween Kills, which is currently set to hit theaters on October 16th.

The Conjuring sequel getting delayed will surely be a disappointment for fans, as it marks the first entry in the proper narrative of films that launched the intertwined cinematic universe since 2016's The Conjuring 2. While the film will see the returns of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, it will be devoid of franchise creator James Wan, with Michael Chaves instead helming the film.

Stay tuned for details on the release date of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Do you think the sequel will be delayed? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!