‘The Conjuring: Last Rites' First Looks Set Stage For The Warren's 'Darkest' Case Yet
Few horror franchises have maintained both longevity and consistency the way The Conjuring has. Since its debut in 2013, audiences have followed Ed and Lorraine Warren across haunted houses, courtrooms, and possessed basements. Now, after more than a decade of facing the supernatural, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are ready to close the book on their iconic roles. The Conjuring: Last Rites will serve as a farewell not just to the characters but to a chapter of the franchise defined by their onscreen partnership.
Set in 1986, five years after the events of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It , The Conjuring: Last Rites finds the Warrens in retirement — at least until one final case lures them back. This time, the haunting isn't just about what's lurking in the shadows, but what's been buried in the past. 'I felt strongly that the biggest, most emotional story we could tell was the most personal story,' irector Michael Chaves told Entertainment Weekly.
Vera Farmiga hinted that The Conjuring: Last Rites introduces a 'moment that makes time stand still.' Her comments suggest the Warrens will face something unlike anything they've encountered before: something deeply tied to their own history. Wilson, meanwhile, described the film as a return to the franchise's core: a story centered on family, faith, and fear. 'The third film was more of a true crime detour,' he said. 'This really felt like a proper ending to get back to the heart of the franchise, the family of it all.'
The Conjuring: Last Rites adapts the infamous Smurl haunting, a real-life case that drew national attention in the late '80s. For producers, the true story's media exposure became an asset. Executive producer Peter Safran pointed out that it's 'one of the more Googleable ones,' giving audiences an eerie head start before stepping into theaters. The Smurls' claims made the rounds on TV shows like Larry King Live , turning their story into one of the most well-documented cases in the Warrens' archive.
Safran confirmed that Last Rites marks the final appearance of Wilson and Farmiga as the Warrens, but not necessarily the end of the franchise. 'It's the end of the story with Patrick and Vera,' he said, leaving the door open for future projects set within the same universe. New Line Cinema president Richard Brenner echoed that sentiment, calling this the end of The Conjuring 's 'phase one' and teasing additional entries including new titles and potential crossovers with other Warner Bros. horror properties like Evil Dead .
Whether or not the Warrens return in some future form, The Conjuring: Last Rites closes a chapter that began with a quiet knock on a farmhouse door in Rhode Island and ends with a case that may reveal just as much about the Warrens as it does the spirits they chase. Fans will soon find out what haunts a ghost hunter when the ghosts are personal.
The Conjuring: Last Rites opens in cinemas on 5 September.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she's not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she's probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace . The Conjuring The Conjuring: Last Rites
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Geek Culture
James Gunn Sets 'Superman' Runtime, Denies WB Made Him Shorten It
James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU) kick-starter Superman now has a confirmed runtime, with the writer and director denying rumours that parent company Warner Bros. 'forced' its relatively shorter length. Opening in cinemas on 11 July this year, Superman will clock in at two hours and nine minutes, inclusive of its credits, a number confirmed by Gunn on social network Threads. By comparison, 2013's Man of Steel ran for two hours and 14 minutes, while its 2016 follow-up, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, ran for two hours and 31 minutes. While its two-hour runtime might not seem that short in the context of modern superhero films, Superman is set to feature a plethora of side characters such as Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, sparking questions on how the film would include them all into its brisk pace while ensuring they are more fleshed out rather than mere cameos. Perhaps one way the film would circumvent its shorter runtime is by removing the origins element of Superman completely, with its trailers making it seem like the superhero is already an established name in the eyes of the public, and Gunn himself previously stating that he was uninterested in making yet another Superman origin story. In addition, Gunn also explained during an Instagram Live session that the film would focus solely on Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, and wouldn't be an ensemble piece à la The Avengers . Alongside unveiling the film's runtime, Gunn was also quick to shoot down rumours that Warner Bros. had forced him to shorten the film. 'Zero truth to that,' he replied to a comment on Threads, 'And they couldn't even if that's something that they wanted to. It's a DC Studios film.' With this statement, it seems clear that the director has creative control when it comes to his rebooted DCU, which does help to alleviate some of the concerns surrounding Superman's shorter runtime when it hits theatres on 11 July 2025. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. DC Universe James Gunn Superman
Geek Culture
5 days ago
- Geek Culture
Warner Bros. Reportedly Eyed Michael Bay To Direct Henry Cavill Superman Sequel
The Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill, could have gotten another solo outing on the silver screen, but the onboarding of James Gunn and Peter Safran as DC Studios co-heads put an end to the idea. Per The Wrap, Warner Bros. Pictures chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy were considering a 'standalone Henry Cavill-led Superman film going in 2022,' with Transformers helmer Michael Bay, who has never done a straight-up superhero movie before, in the director's chair. While it's unclear how far the deal went, the project was reportedly meant to be straightforward and without the entanglements that follow tie-ins, crossovers, or multiverse productions. The discussion took place between the departure of the previous head, Walter Hamada, and the induction of Gunn and Safran. In the same year, Cavill would step down as the titular superhero and set his sights on other franchise deals, including a live-action Voltron film adaptation, a Warhammer 40K series for Amazon, and a reboot of the 1986 classic Highlander . As for Bay, the filmmaker is set to debut his first-ever documentary, We Are Storror , at the 2025 SXSW (pronounced 'South by Southwest') festival. Next on his agenda list are Netflix's action title Fast and Loose , which will reunite him with Bad Boys star Will Smith, and a film adaptation of the classic arcade title OutRun starring Sydney Sweeney. But first, all eyes are on Gunn's upcoming Superman movie. This time, David Corenswet ( Twisters , Pearl ) is donning the cape, with Rachel Brosnahan ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ) and Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men films) playing Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, respectively. The superhero flick is one of the six live-action big-screen projects planned for Chapter One of the rebooted cinematic universe, followed by Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in June 2026, Clayface in September 2026, The Authority (TBA), The Brave and the Bold , and Swamp Thing . It hits theatres on 10 July. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Man of Steel michael bay Superman Transformers warner bros
Geek Culture
09-05-2025
- Geek Culture
‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' Returns To Middle-earth Dec 2027
Middle-earth is calling once again, and this time, it's Gollum who takes center stage. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially announced (per Variety) that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will arrive in cinemas on 17 December 2027. Andy Serkis, long synonymous with the twisted, tormented figure of Gollum, will both direct and star in the film. He's joined by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the powerhouse team behind the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, now returning to shape a new chapter of Middle-earth. Set during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring , The Hunt for Gollum aims to explore a lesser-known thread from Tolkien's lore: Gandalf and Aragorn's secret efforts to locate the creature who once possessed the One Ring. Though not officially confirmed, speculation has naturally turned to whether actors like Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen could return to reprise their iconic roles. Nothing is set in stone, but the creative team's history of loyalty to its original cast keeps the possibility very much alive. This return to Middle-earth also continues a tradition: every live-action Lord of the Rings film has premiered in December. The original trilogy began with The Fellowship of the Ring on 19 December 2001, and concluded with The Return of the King on 17 December 2003, the same date The Hunt for Gollum now occupies. Thirteen years will have passed since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies wrapped up the last live-action trilogy. That span, coupled with recent disappointment from the anime prequel The War of the Rohirrim , gives this new film an opportunity to reignite enthusiasm in a franchise still beloved by many. That holiday season spot also plants a flag in a competitive release corridor currently also claimed by Disney for a yet-untitled Star Wars film. Warner Bros.' willingness to place The Hunt for Gollum head-to-head with a franchise of that scale signals confidence in its potential draw, especially for audiences eager to return to the world of hobbits, rangers, and ancient evils. Though The Hunt for Gollum is just one of two planned films overseen by Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens, this first instalment already carries the weight of audience expectation. Hopefully this won't just be another nostalgic add-on, but the beginning of a new chapter for Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum opens in cinemas on 17 December 2027. Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she's not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she's probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace . Andy Serkis Lord of the Rings The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum
