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78-638: The Conjuring Universe is an American horror franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films . The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema , Atomic Monster , and the Safran Company , and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures . The films present a dramatization of the supposed real-life adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren , paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting. The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves harassed by spirits, while

156-403: A marketing device that drew attention to the first installment of The Conjuring Universe, leading up to its release date. The short films were met with mixed reception, while each filmmaker would later find success in other noteworthy horror franchises. While the series does not connect directly to the franchise, it serves as the first attempt at expanding the franchise, while this specific time

234-600: A character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through licensing agreements , with respect to intellectual property in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products." The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance,

312-680: A direct connection to the Warrens and the other released films in the franchise; stating that they will continue to be made "as long as [we] keep having original stories to tell". By May 2021, he said that there were multiple future projects in various stages of development, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga intended to reprise their roles. Safran stated: "[They] are such unique actors and they portray Ed and Lorraine so beautifully that we'd love to keep making these movies with them. Ed and Lorraine investigated cases for 50 years, so we have another 40 years with Patrick and Vera before we run out". Following

390-482: A film I don't know what we can". DeRosa-Grund then described his vision of the film for Ed. DeRosa-Grund wrote the original treatment and titled the project The Conjuring . For nearly 14 years, he tried to get the film made without any success. He originally landed a deal to make the film at Gold Circle Films , the production company behind The Haunting in Connecticut , but a contract could not be finalized and

468-485: A franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds. Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself. Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from

546-424: A modeling agency, several television shows ( Playboy's Penthouse , in 1959), and even its own television channel . Twenty-five years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show , direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in

624-476: A month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service. Prior to the release of The Nun , Wan discussed the possibility of a sequel and what its storyline may be: "I do know where potentially, if The Nun works out, where The Nun 2 could lead to and how that ties to Lorraine's story that we've set up with the first two Conjuring s and make it all come full circle". In April 2019, Safran said that

702-630: A nationwide concert tour, an American Idol book that made the bestseller list and the film From Justin to Kelly . A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular Twilight book series that was adapted into the five films of The Twilight Saga . Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including metaseries , which can be used to describe works such as Isaac Asimov 's Foundation series . Multimedia franchises usually develop through

780-479: A nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage; the dollmaker's possessed creation Annabelle sets her sights on the children and turns their shelter into a storm of ultimate evil. Lights Out director David F. Sandberg replaced Leonetti as director, with Dauberman returning to write the script and Safran and Wan returning to produce. The film was released worldwide on August 11, 2017, to critical and commercial success, with many critics stating Annabelle: Creation

858-537: A prequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It . The story involves a college student named Jessica. She struggles with college life and her discovery that something sinister is targeting her. Each issue includes backup stories, which explore the cursed artifacts in the Warren's basement museum. The limited series is co-written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Rex Ogle , with artwork by Garry Brown and cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz . The backup stories featuring

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936-514: A script he wrote. Producer Wan has likened the story to Night at the Museum , where Annabelle activates the haunted objects in the Warrens' artifact room. The Nun , a spiritual prequel based on a character introduced in The Conjuring 2 , was released in 2018. The plot focused on the origins of the demonic nun Valak before coming in contact with the Warrens. A sequel, The Nun II ,

1014-404: A sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was revealed to be in development. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick would write the script while James Wan and Peter Safran would return as producers. Wan later confirmed that Wilson and Farmiga would reprise their respective roles. In April 2023, during CinemaCon , the film's title was revealed. In September 2023, Michael Chaves stated that work on

1092-443: A sequel was in development, stating that there was a "really fun" storyline planned for the film. Later that month, Akela Cooper signed onto the project as writer for the film while Safran and Wan were set as producers. Bonnie Aarons expressed interest in reprising her role as the titular demon in the sequel. In February 2022, Taissa Farmiga stated that she has had discussions with Warner Bros. Pictures regarding reprising her role from

1170-449: A trade hardcover collecting the issues was released. In July 2013, prior to the theatrical release of The Conjuring , Vice Media alongside Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema (under the banner of The Conjuring ) presented a series of anthology horror short-films, titled The 3:07 A.M. Project . In the series of shorts, the witching hour of 3:07 A.M. is the only recurring theme within each short. The shorts were presented as

1248-490: A writer and the director in his directorial debut. It was based on a story treatment written by Dauberman and Wan. Wan and Peter Safran co-produced the project. Annabelle Comes Home takes place after Annabelle and The Conjuring and focuses on the doll after she was kept in the glass box in the Warrens ' museum. Wilson and Farmiga reprised their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, alongside Mckenna Grace as Judy Warren and Madison Iseman as Judy's teenage babysitter. The film

1326-593: Is not an installment in The Conjuring Universe, it stars Eric Ladin , who reprises his role as Detective Clarkin from Leonetti's 2014 film, Annabelle . Wolves at the Door is loosely based on the Manson Family murders in 1969. In October 2017, Wan served as a producer of a horror film directed by Michael Chaves and starring Linda Cardellini , which was then titled The Children . The film

1404-484: Is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise. The term media mix gained its circulation in late 1980s and is first used to describe adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu 's Japan Sinks , but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of anime , with its interconnection of media and commodity goods. Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as Vampire Hunter D in

1482-449: Is the same entity that torments David in the waterbed and ultimately enters his body. He expressed hope that one day the project would be green-lit. Chaves commented that James Wan has several Warren "cases up his sleeve", with "a lot of things   ... to explore". The filmmaker acknowledged that he knew various projects that were being developed, while expressing his excitement as a fan to see what would be released first. In August 2023,

1560-491: The fantasy and science fiction genres. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into animated television series , video games, or both. A media franchise does not have to include the same characters or theme, as the brand identity can be the franchise, like Square Enix 's Final Fantasy or the National Lampoon series , and can suffer from critical failures even if

1638-461: The highest-grossing horror franchise in history and one of the most critically acclaimed. Development began over 20 years before the first film's debut, when Ed Warren played a tape of Lorraine Warren 's original interview with Carolyn Perron for producer Tony DeRosa-Grund. DeRosa-Grund made a recording of Warren playing back the tape and of their subsequent discussion. At the end of the tape, Warren said to DeRosa-Grund: "If we can't make this into

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1716-574: The 14th most profitable horror film in North America. Many critics found Annabelle to be an inferior film compared to The Conjuring . A sequel, The Conjuring 2 , was commissioned after the success of the original film and was also directed by Wan, with both Farmiga and Wilson reprising their roles. The film focused on the Enfield poltergeist case in London in 1977, while briefly referring to

1794-423: The 1980s and Pokémon in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance. The latter in particular began as a video game available on Nintendo 's Game Boy , and crossed through the media of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more. A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among

1872-473: The Baskervilles as inspiration. Safran stated that the next film would not be a haunted house movie. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick was hired to write the screenplay. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was directed by Michael Chaves , after previously directing The Curse of La Llorona , with James Wan in producer's role. Wilson and Farmiga reprised their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, with

1950-538: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, an argument can be made that the Conjuring franchise is the second-most successful cinematic universe at the moment". In April 2021, DC Comics formed a new horror imprint called DC Horror. The first of a series of comics set within The Conjuring Universe was released on June 1 the same year. The Conjuring: The Lover is a 5-issue limited series that serves as

2028-405: The audience response to the character. In November 2022, Wan announced that, outside of his control, the project was not moving forward at that time while expressing hope for a potential future release. In May 2015, John R. Leonetti , was announced as the director of Wolves at the Door for New Line Cinema , with Gary Dauberman as screenwriter and Peter Safran as producer. Although the film

2106-464: The character. The plot focused on John and Mia Form, a married couple expecting a child, whose vintage doll, Annabelle, becomes possessed by a vengeful spirit after two devil worshippers break into their home and are killed. The film was directed by The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Safran and Wan, with Gary Dauberman behind the script. The film was released worldwide on October 3, 2014, to major commercial success, becoming

2184-431: The day-in-the-life episodes of the many different Real Housewives series. Documentaries and docuseries are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises, such as the popular Planet Earth series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise. List of highest-grossing horror films#Top 25 highest-grossing horror film franchises and film series The following page lists

2262-577: The deal was dropped. DeRosa-Grund allied with producer Peter Safran , and sibling writers Chad and Carey W. Hayes were brought on board to refine the script. Using DeRosa-Grund's treatment and the Ed Warren tape, the Hayes brothers changed the story's point of view from the Perron family to that of the Warrens. The brothers interviewed Lorraine many times over the phone to clarify details. By mid-2009,

2340-443: The demonic entity attached to the doll . In May 2021, Peter Safran said that there were ongoing developments for a television series set within The Conjuring Universe. The producer stated that while they did not want to take away from the film installments, there were "some more long-form stories that would be better told over eight episodes or eight hours as opposed to just a two-hour movie". Safran acknowledged that an expansion of

2418-407: The different media, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways, such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of

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2496-484: The effect the films have had on popular culture as well as in the production of modern horror films. The third entry received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Wilson and Farmiga but noted it as weaker than the previous Conjuring installments. The first entry in the Annabelle film series received more mixed to negative reviews, considered an inferior film to its forerunner. Annabelle: Creation

2574-412: The events of the doll of the same name before the Warrens came into contact with it at the start of the first film. A prequel, Annabelle: Creation (2017), directed by David F. Sandberg shows the events of the origins of the demon-manipulated doll. A third Annabelle film, Annabelle Comes Home , was released on June 26, 2019, with franchise writer Gary Dauberman making his directorial debut from

2652-539: The events that inspired The Amityville Horror . A sequel to the two films and the third entry in the main series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It , was released on June 4, 2021, and revolves around the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson , a murder that took place in 1981 in Connecticut . The franchise also includes Annabelle (2014), a prequel directed by The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Peter Safran and Wan, which revealed

2730-405: The events that inspired The Amityville Horror . It was released on June 10, 2016, to positive reviews from both critics and audiences; some agreed that the film was vastly superior to other horror sequels, while others debated whether the film had surpassed its predecessor in quality. Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film became another profitable addition to

2808-592: The exclusive rights to the Warrens' story and that it had been stolen by the studios and producers. The case was scheduled to go to trial on April 16, 2018, with a Warner Bros. spokesperson commenting: "We're pleased the Court significantly narrowed the case and look forward to addressing the remaining claims at summary judgment. Mr. Brittle's claims are not only without merit, but contradict Mr. Brittle's prior admissions in other failed lawsuits concerning The Conjuring movies". However, on December 13, 2017, Warner Bros. settled

2886-725: The fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other media. Marvel's Avenger's Campus park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure and Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World . Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Nancy Drew , Miss Marple , and other popular detectives , as well as popular comic book superheroes . Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels , particularly those in

2964-470: The film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day. Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain media that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of

3042-440: The film. The plot of the film follows a priest and a novitiate as they investigate an unholy secret and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun (Valak). The film was released on September 7, 2018, and grossed $ 365.6   million on a budget of $ 22   million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise. The third installment in the Annabelle series, Annabelle Comes Home , featured Gary Dauberman as

3120-512: The filmmaker said there is potential for additional projects featuring the Nun, to explore the timeframe between the 1950s to the 1960s. In September of the same year, he stated that as a fan of the series, he would like to see a project where various demonic entities from each of the installments antagonize the Warrens. In May 2017, Safran said that the Crooked Man character from The Conjuring 2

3198-514: The first film while stating that the restrictions on the film industry as a result of COVID-19 had delayed the project. Warner Bros. officially announced the film in April as part of its upcoming slate at the 2022 CinemaCon . Michael Chaves was confirmed as director. Initial photography began on April 29, 2022, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as Valak . In September 2022, it was revealed that Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing had contributed to

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3276-607: The focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image". The book Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan, by Marc Steinberg, details the evolution of the media mix in Japan. Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within

3354-438: The franchise into television shows has been in discussion for some time, with the launch of HBO Max providing Warner Bros. Entertainment with a distributor for any potential series. In April 2023, an untitled television series in the franchise was announced as being in development. The show would take place chronologically after the events of the films, with James Wan and Peter Safran serving as executive producers . The project

3432-429: The franchise's fandom , which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its media and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers. Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around

3510-472: The franchise, having earned $ 320.3   million worldwide from a budget of $ 40   million, and becoming the second highest-grossing horror film of all time, after The Exorcist , until It was released in 2017. An Annabelle sequel was in development, eventually revealed to be a prequel to the original film. The plot of the film centers on a dollmaker and his wife, whose daughter tragically died twelve years earlier, as they decide to open their home to

3588-405: The franchise, on websites like tumblr , Reddit and Fandom . In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself. A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within

3666-415: The franchise. Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which media are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire media can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring. On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in

3744-424: The future of the franchise will explore different sub-genres of horror; stating that a psychological horror film centered around The Bride, and a slasher horror film centered around The Samurai, were examples of options that were discussed for development. In June 2021, after the release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It , Michael Chaves revealed that the movie was originally intended to directly tie into

3822-481: The lawsuit, revealing that Tony DeRosa-Grund, the producer of the original film, was the "mastermind" behind the lawsuit, without Brittle ever having been involved. A spokesperson commented: "New Line has contended all along that DeRosa-Grund was the mastermind behind the lawsuit, was controlling and directing the lawsuit, and had attempted to enter into secret side deals with Brittle". Brittle himself commented that "Mr. DeRosa-Grund has been controlling this litigation from

3900-473: The magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise. Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film media, with reality TV being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like The Amazing Race to

3978-400: The media fictional material is unrelated. Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books . An enduring and comprehensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises , which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy , within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as

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4056-479: The next spin-off film. Centered around a demonic character that was cut from the third Conjuring referred to as the Lost Demon, Chaves stated that this entity would be notable because it was entirely based on descriptions from true account witnesses. Though the full character reveal was removed from the final cut, as well as a subplot where Isla the occultist was working with the demon, the filmmaker noted that it

4134-424: The occult items from the Warrens' artifact room were written by various writers: the first by Scott Snyder , with Denys Cowan serving as artist, the second from writer Che Grayson and artist Juan Ferreyra, the third from writer Tim Seeley and artist Kelley Jones, followed by the fourth from writer Ray Fawkes and artist Christopher Mitten, and by the fifth from writer and artist Dominike "Domo" Stanton. In March 2022,

4212-608: The plot revolving around the real-life "Devil Made Me Do It" case , a legal trial where the defendant claimed to have been possessed during the crimes of which he is accused. The film was initially scheduled for a September 11, 2020, release, before being pushed to June 4, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The movie was, however, released by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2021, followed by United States on June 4, where it also had

4290-505: The point where he was getting into trouble with the courts and settled with Warner Bros. to never sue them again for anything related to the franchise. Media franchise A media franchise often consists of cross-marketing across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers. Those large groups of dedicated consumers create

4368-421: The previous owners bought the house in 1987 and lived "in peace" until 2013. Both owners had been seeking unspecified damages. When questioned, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. declined to comment on the issue. Gerald Brittle, author of a book about the Warrens called The Demonologist , filed a $ 900   million lawsuit on March 29, 2017, against Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Wan and others, claiming that he had

4446-423: The production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success. American Idol was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner Kelly Clarkson signing with RCA Records and having the release of A Moment Like This becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. The success resulted in

4524-481: The property became the subject of a six-studio bidding war that landed the film at Summit Entertainment ; however, DeRosa-Grund and Summit could not conclude the transaction and the film went into turnaround . DeRosa-Grund reconnected with New Line Cinema , who had lost in the original bidding war, and the studio ultimately picked up the film. The same year on November 11, a deal was made between New Line and DeRosa-Grund's Evergreen Media Group. The first installment of

4602-491: The release of Annabelle Comes Home in June 2019, Gary Dauberman acknowledged the possibility of a fourth Annabelle film, while stating that there's potential for a number of spin-off films centered around the other cursed artifacts and their entities, as well. The filmmaker revealed that specific entities received detailed backstories that he wrote during the production for Annabelle Comes Home . Developed with Wan, he stated that

4680-525: The same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the Battlestar Galactica comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story. In Japanese culture and entertainment, media mix ( wasei-eigo : メディアミックス , mediamikkusu ) is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different broadcast media , gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, amusement parks , and other methods. It

4758-438: The script as co-authors of the most recent draft. Storm Reid had joined the cast in a lead role for the film, principal photography began on October 6, 2022, and concluded later that year. Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet are reprising their roles as Sister Irene and Maurice "Frenchie" Theriault, with Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose Downey joining the cast. The Nun II was released on September 8, 2023. In October 2022,

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4836-550: The script was continuing, stating that the project was intended to be seen as a "finale" of the stories in the franchise that had come before. Filming had started by September 17, 2024. The film is scheduled to be released on September 5, 2025, and will be the final installment of the main series. In June 2017, producer Peter Safran stated that while the studio will not incorporate characters from other standalone original works, there are various projects in development. He later reiterated that future projects will only be made that have

4914-471: The script was ongoing, and that the studio wants to wait until they have a draft that they like before further production will commence. The producer reiterated what Wan had stated, reaffirming that the intention is for each installment in the franchise to have its own style. He later stated that while The Crooked Man was intended to be the next movie following The Conjuring 2 , the project had been delayed in favor of fast-tracking production on The Nun due to

4992-490: The series (originally entitled The Warren Files , later retitled The Conjuring ) centers on the real-life exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren , a married couple who investigated paranormal events. Patrick Wilson starred alongside Vera Farmiga in the main roles of Ed and Lorraine. The film focused on the Warrens' 1971 case in which they investigated a witch's curse at a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island . The Conjuring

5070-420: The series. The franchise has been notable for its profit, with The Conjuring and its follow-up having earned a combined profit of $ 260   million, according to Deadline , while Annabelle managed to make 40 times its $ 6.5   million budget. Scott Mendelson of Forbes called the franchise the "first successful post– Marvel cinematic universe". The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 wrote that "Besides

5148-564: The spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered. The franchise has been commercially successful, having grossed a combined $ 2.2   billion against a combined budget of $ 208   million, becoming the highest-grossing horror franchise to date. The franchise has received mixed reviews. The franchise consists of three films in the main series: The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021). The first two films were directed by James Wan , while

5226-414: The start. [...] Based on a review of text messages between Mr. DeRosa-Grund and my attorney, I understand that he even threatened my attorneys that if they sent information from me without him seeing it first they would be fired". Brittle went into further detail in the settlement. This follows repeated failed lawsuits by DeRosa-Grund to Warner Bros. for claims of owed millions of dollars from the franchise to

5304-485: The third film was directed by Michael Chaves . The first two installments revolve around two of the many famous paranormal cases of which the Warrens have been a part, with the first film depicting the case of the Perron family, who are experiencing disturbing events in their newly acquired house in Rhode Island . The second entry focused on the controversial case of the Enfield poltergeist while briefly referring to

5382-477: The world's highest-grossing media franchises . For example, Pokémon 's penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! , gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called transmedia storytelling , crossmedia, transmediation , media synergy, etc. Researchers argue that the 1963 Tetsuwan Atomu marked a shift in Japanese marketing from

5460-517: Was a vast improvement over its predecessor. A spin-off film titled The Nun , featuring the "Demon Nun" character Valak from The Conjuring 2 , was directed by Corin Hardy , with The Conjuring 2 co-scribe David Leslie Johnson initially announced as the writer before being replaced by Gary Dauberman and Wan, who also produced with Safran. Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga starred in the lead roles, while Bonnie Aarons reprised her role as Valak in

5538-446: Was being considered by the studio for a feature film. By June of the same year, a spin-off film titled The Crooked Man was officially in development with Mike Van Waes serving as screenwriter, based on an original story by Wan; Wan and Safran were set to produce the project. Though in its early stages of development, the filmmaker stated that the sub-genre of horror would be a "dark fairytale". By September 2018, Safran stated that work on

5616-470: Was later retitled The Curse of La Llorona (also known as The Curse of the Weeping Woman in some international markets). Although the film is not an installment in The Conjuring Universe, it stars Tony Amendola , who reprises his role from Annabelle as Father Perez. The character gives direction to the family being tormented by the titular spirit, and relates the haunting to his experiences with

5694-431: Was met with generally positive reviews. Annabelle Comes Home and The Nun II received mixed reviews. The Nun , on the other hand, received generally mixed to negative reviews. The three main films and their five spin-offs have proven themselves to be successful at the box office, having combined earnings of over $ 2.1   billion worldwide, against a combined budget of $ 208   million, making The Conjuring Universe

5772-495: Was referenced in the first movie of the franchise. Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, previous owners of the house on which The Conjuring was based, have sued Wan, Warner Bros. and other producers in 2015 because their property was being constantly vandalized as a consequence of the film. Entertainment Weekly obtained documents in which the owners affirm various invasions and ratify that they have found numerous objects affiliated with satanic cults. The lawsuit also reveals that

5850-444: Was released on July 19, 2013, to positive reviews. It earned $ 320   million worldwide against a budget of $ 20   million, becoming one of the most profitable horror films in history. A spin-off film, focusing on the origins of the Annabelle doll that was introduced in The Conjuring , was announced shortly after the release of its forerunner, mainly due to the film's worldwide box office success, and positive reception towards

5928-507: Was released on June 26, 2019. After The Conjuring 2 was released, Wan revealed he would not return to direct another installment in the series, due to scheduling conflicts, but expressed interest in seeing other filmmakers direct more "Conjuring" films. Wan said that the next film in the series would take place during the 1980s and spoke of ideas for the films to explore lycanthropy , citing An American Werewolf in London and The Hound of

6006-613: Was released on September 8, 2023, with Michael Chaves directing and Ian Goldberg , Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper serving as writers for the film. Wan stated that they sought accuracy to real life in making the main films, while the spin-offs allowed them to "just explore different sub-genres in the horror genre". The first two Conjuring films were met with generally positive reviews by both critics and horror fans, earning praise for Wan's directing and main cast performances, particularly Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga 's on-screen chemistry as Ed and Lorraine. Critics also acknowledged

6084-487: Was set to be a joint-venture production between New Line Television , Warner Bros. Television Studios , Atomic Monster, the Safran Company, and Max Originals , and was being developed for release via streaming exclusively on Warner Bros. Discovery's Max . This table lists the main characters who appear in The Conjuring Universe, in alphabetical order by the character's last name. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in

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