This fall will see the release of “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which will be the final go around for Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Ed and Lorraine Warren. But this is still a universe full of demons and supernatural forces that need dealing with, with or without the Warrens. Hence, if franchise overseer James Wan has his way, one particularly nightmarish monster may yet get his day in the sun as the subject of a spin-off movie.
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In a preview piece from the folks at Entertainment Weekly, Wan, who directed the original blockbuster smash “The Conjuring” that started the property as we know it, explained that he still has a desire to make the “Crooked Man” movie that was planned several years back but never materialized. The creature in question first appeared in 2016’s “The Conjuring 2,” and while other supernatural beings such as “Annabelle” and “The Nun” have received multiple films, he remains on the sidelines. However, Wan would like to change that. Here’s what the filmmaker had to say about that:
“I still have a movie in my head that I would hopefully love to get off the ground one day, but we’ll see. I get fans that reach out to me every now and then, begging us to make a Crooked Man movie. Just as a fan, I would love to do it one day, if I can convince the studio to do so.”
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The “Crooked Man” spin-off was first announced in 2017, with Mike Van Waes (“Lilo & Stitch”) set to pen the script. Wan later said in 2022 that the movie was no longer happening. While that still appears to be the case, the filmmaker clearly has a desire to convince the brass at Warner Bros. to reverse course. Given that this is the man who not only birthed this franchise but also directed massive hits such as “Aquaman” and “Furious 7,” one imagines he might have some powers of persuasion to exercise. Here’s hoping.
The Conjuring Universe will live on, so The Crooked Man isn’t dead yet
The “Conjuring” films and their various spin-offs have pulled in nearly $2.4 billion at the global box office against very reasonable budgets. So, while the Warrens may be saying goodbye to the big screen (for now), Warner Bros. fully intends to keep the Conjuring Universe alive. A “Conjuring” TV was announced for the Max streaming service in 2023, for example, although few updates have been revealed since then.
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“We thought the Crooked Man was basically going to be the Annabelle for ‘Conjuring 2,'” producer Peter Safran explained in the EW piece. That’s not how it panned out. Instead, audiences really took to Valak, aka The Nun. More scenes were added to the movie featuring the character, and the rest is history. “The Nun” remains the biggest film in the Conjuring Universe to date, with 2023’s “The Nun 2” having become a big hit as well.
In all likelihood, there will be more movies beyond “Last Rites.” Maybe that will include “The Nun 3.” Anything is on the table. Given the continued success of this franchise, it seems very likely that Wan could circle back to this idea in the not-too-distant future. The filmmaker spoke even further about the potential of “The Crooked Man” back in 2017. As he explained at the time:
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“With ‘The Crooked Man,’ I would love to push it more down somewhat of that dark fairytale, and more whimsical, subgenre. I love the idea that, within the ‘Conjuring’ universe, each of our little movies all have their own flavor, so that way they don’t feel like they’re the same films.”
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is set to open in theaters on September 5, 2025. Solana Token Creator
