It’s already been a huge year for horror, and The Conjuring franchise hasn’t even had its say yet. The Conjuring: Last Rites hits theaters on September 5th, and ComicBook has an exclusive preview image below to tease the Warrens’ new case. We also spoke to director Michael Chaves about balancing continuity and serialization with appeals to new viewers. Last Rites is intended to mark the ending of this phase of the “Conjuring Universe,” yet it doesn’t let its climactic moments alienate first time viewers. According to Chaves, the key is the new character Tony Spera, played by X-Men alum Ben Hardy.
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“I think with a series like this, it’s easy to get 12 years in, to get so inside baseball, to almost take things for granted,” Chaves said. “I think when you do that, you’re only speaking to the most hardcore fans, and you start to lose the magic of seeing it for the first time. I remember seeing The Conjuring for the first time, I think so many people do, and just being introduced to that world. That’s what we get with Tony. Tony gets to come into this world with a fresh pair of eyes.”
“I was always [saying] to Ben, ‘You are a breath of fresh air. You don’t have any of the baggage of the previous movies. You don’t have any of the baggage of surviving exorcisms or dealing with demons. You get to come in here and ask all the questions, see it all for the first time,’” the director continued. “And I think that, especially for an ending, I think that there is something so wonderful about that. I think that also opens up the movie to so many new fans.”
While most fans have to wait a few more weeks to see Last Rites for themselves, Chaves said that some newcomers have already gotten a sneak peek for themselves.
“It’s amazing, there’s people who have never seen a Conjuring movie. We actually had them in our test screening and it was great because they followed along, they totally got it,” he said. “I think it’s because of Tony that they can see the movie and be brought along on the journey.”
Chaves directed the last installment of this series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in 2021, as well as The Nun II in 2023. Once again, he’s working with series stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators on whose experiences these movies are based. Mia Tomlinson plays their daughter, Judy, while Hardy’s character Tony is her boyfriend.
The Conjuring: Last Rites will be haunting theaters starting on September 5th. Previous installments in the franchise are streaming now on HBO Max.
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