‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Reportedly Won’t Be the Final Scare of the Franchise
The Conjuring: Last Rites has only just hit theaters, but the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren is far from over.
Even though the film was sold as the final chapter, Warner Bros.’ New Line division is already thinking about what comes next.
According to Matthew Belloni of Puck News, the studio is looking at a possible prequel following the huge box office numbers. As Belloni put it, “Given the box office numbers, of course they are.”
Last Rites opened in the United States on September 5, 2025, and quickly broke records. It pulled in $34.6 million on its first day, including $8.5 million in Thursday previews, both new highs for the series.
By the end of its opening weekend, it had earned $84 million domestically, making it the best debut of the entire Conjuring franchise and the third-biggest opening ever for a horror movie. Worldwide, the film has already grossed $194 million. With numbers like that, it makes sense the studio isn’t ready to let the Warrens go.
Still, there is some behind-the-scenes drama. James Wan, who co-created the series and also launched the Saw and Insidious franchises, is pushing for a bigger piece of the profits. Reports say Wan first asked for half of the earnings from future Conjuring movies, before lowering the demand to 25 percent for the next film and 50 percent after that.
Warner Bros. hasn’t agreed, and Wan has threatened to walk away. Studio sources claim his involvement in recent projects has been limited, while others argue he still has a big creative influence, often being on set and shaping key scare moments.
Earlier this year at CinemaCon, New Line Cinema’s president confirmed that the company is working on a second phase of Conjuring films.
By August, Wan himself hinted that future stories could focus on Judy Warren, the real-life daughter of Ed and Lorraine. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who play the couple, both said they would be interested in continuing their roles. Wilson explained, “We’re in our 50s, and Lorraine lived into her 90s while Ed was in his 70s, so we’re still around.”
Mia Tomlinson, who plays Judy Warren, also said she would be happy to return, while other younger actors have shown interest in playing younger versions of Ed and Lorraine in prequels. One possible idea is a movie centered on the Amityville haunting, one of the Warrens’ most famous cases.
New horrors abound for the Warrens in #TheConjuring: Last Rites – In theaters this Friday!
— Fandango (@Fandango) September 2, 2025
Check out this exclusive clip, and reserve your seats on Fandango. https://t.co/3x6UXl8iod pic.twitter.com/UXTSMutBld
So while The Conjuring: Last Rites may have been marketed as the end, the scares are likely far from over. With big box office success, fan interest, and plenty of real-life cases still unexplored, it looks like The Conjuring universe will keep growing for years to come.
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