The Conjuring, the only successful shared universe outside of Marvel, has slated its third official entry for a September 11, 2020 release. This gives us over a year to wait and wonder what sort of spooky ghoul (word is it’ll be werewolves) will jump out at the Warrens this time around.
Despite all of the spin-offs being at best merely all right, The Conjuring has held steady as a franchise with creepy doll and creepy nun spinoffs keeping the universe alive between the actually good mainline entries.
The original The Conjuring, a movie so scary it was given an R rating despite being filmed for PG-13, accomplished the rare feat of making jumpscares work by following an unpredictable rhythm buoyed by powerful horror images. James Wan became a cinematic force off its heels, so much so that it seems he’s gotten too big for the franchise and will be passing off directing duties for this installment.
It was something of a surprise that he returned for The Conjuring 2, but his absence behind the camera will certainly be felt. Michael Chaves will be taking up directing duties, and we’ll get to see his skills in the forthcoming Conjuring universe film The Curse of La Llorona, which will hit theaters on April 19.