1 Year Later, I Wish The Conjuring's Last Movie Had Fulfilled Its End Of An Era Promise

Published Sep 5, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT Anthony is a news reporter and a guide writer who has covered the entertainment industry for five years. He has covered a wide range of genres, including aviation incidents and international crime, and has a keen eye for details that may slip under the radar. When he's not writing, Anthony can be found at Brands Hatch race track or at home watching indie horror movies nobody has heard of. The original The Conjuring movie premiered in 2013, introducing audiences to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. Their characters are loosely based on real-life figures, as the Warrens were known as Paranormal Investigators. Their first outing took them to a secluded farmhouse, where they met the Perron family living in fear of an entity terrorizing them. Since then, the franchise has greatly expanded, with nine movies including spinoffs. The Nun and the three Annabelle movies are also part of the same universe, alongside four The Conjuring titles. Ed and Lorraine feature in almost every movie, bar The Nun spin-offs. Wilson and Farmiga have great chemistry as the Warrens, very believable as a devoted husband and wife. The franchise also feels much more fleshed out now, as so many parts of the lore have been expanded. We know much more about Lorraine's gift, and the toll it takes on her. We also understand more about Ed's motivations and how he sometimes foolishly tackles supernatural threats head-on. The Conjuring movies also feature several terrifying antagonists. Valak, the demon nun, was, of course, greatly expanded upon in The Nun movies. Annabelle, the cursed doll, is terrifying, with enough mystique to carry three spinoffs. The most recent movie, The Conjuring: Last Rites, was marketed as a grand finale for the Warrens and even introduced fans to a new antagonist with roots already planted in the original 2013 title. The name and marketing both imply it's the Warrens' final case, but that may no longer be true, for better or for worse. The Conjuring: Last Rites Wasn't Really The Franchise's Last Movie Giles Keyte / Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection The Conjuring movies have garnered a huge fanbase over the years, and it's a feat reflected in the franchise's box office takings. The Nun held the franchise record for the highest gross for years, at $366 million. The figure even dwarfed the mainline The Conjuring movies and anything focusing on Annabelle. That impressive figure was eclipsed by the most recent movie, The Conjuring: Last Rites, with a staggering $499 million. Fans attended the theater in droves to see the conclusion of the Warrens' final case. While critics had mixed opinions, general audiences were more positive. Many also pointed out Wilson and Farmiga's chemistry as a highlight, which has remained constant for more than a decade. With the incredible success of Last Rites, studio heads were keen to continue exploring The Conjuring's universe. Even fans craving more from the franchise would agree that Last Rites effectively wraps up the Warrens' story. With this in mind, the next movie, The Conjuring: First Communion, is a prequel. The Problem Facing The Conjuring's New Movie As The Conjuring: First Communion takes place before the original movie, it allows the franchise to explore the Warrens in a new light. By the time we met Ed and Lorraine in the 2013 film, they were already veterans of their craft. Even though the entities they face are scary, we also know that few people are better equipped to deal with supernatural horrors than they are. A prequel would allow us to see the Warrens before they became authorities in paranormal investigation, but the new angle could pose a unique problem of its own. As we've already mentioned, the dynamic between Farmiga and Wilson is a massive highlight of The Conjuring. They feel like characters that fans have grown up with over more than a decade, but the beloved duo will not reprise their roles in the upcoming movie. As The Conjuring franchise is entering a new era, Ed and Lorraine Warren will now be played by Garrett Wareing and Amanda Fix. It's unclear what direction the next movie could take, but it could explore how the Warrens met and could even shed more light on the "I married him" exchange in the original movie. One potential issue for The Conjuring: First Communion is that audiences may be less keen to revisit the franchise after Last Rites, especially for a prequel that does not involve Farmiga and Wilson. Still, the beloved duo did not feature in 2018's The Nun either, and it was still a box office hit. Time will tell if the upcoming The Conjuring movie can do the same.