The Conjuring: Last Rites was supposed to be the final chapter for the $2 billion franchise, but according to the president of New Line Cinema, Richard Brener, the upcoming film will only mark the end of "phase one."
Brener sat down to chat with The Hollywood Reporter about what's coming next for Warner Bros. Discovery. When explicitly asked about The Conjuring's future, he described Last Rites as just the last entry in the first phase, although there is no information to share on phase two, which the director says is "TBD."
In short, Last Rites is almost definitely not the last movie we will see in The Conjuring Universe, although it does appear to be the real sign-off for stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The pair have been playing the fictionalized versions of real-life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren for over a decade, and both shared touching Instagram tributes after filming wrapped.
But The Conjuring has already started to branch out beyond the Warrens with The Nun and Annabelle movies. The series could delve into more hauntings investigated by the Warrens throughout the years.
When asked about where the next Conjuring might come from, Brener was coy, only saying, "We have a lot of great stuff in the works," pointing toward the next Evil Dead movie and plans for another one after that.
Barbarian director Zach Cregger's following movie Weapons was recently moved up to this year, now releasing on August 8. Brener says it's a "unique" film that will "blow people's minds."
Unfortunately, the CCO doesn't have anything new to share on the future of the popular Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, calling it "complicated" to make one "because of the rights."
In 2019, the rights reverted to Wes Craven's estate, but New Line Cinema still has international rights, so the two parties would have to come to a deal to make a new movie.
As for Last Rites, we still don't know much about the movie, but it was directed by Michael Chaves, with a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Ian Goldberg, and Richard Naing. Ben Hardy and Mia Tomlinson star opposite Farmiga and Wilson.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is coming to theaters on September 5.