'You want to stop at the peak': Michael Chaves understands why The Conjuring franchise is ending
The 40-year-old director returns to helm the concluding movie The Conjuring: Last Rites and explained that there was a "shared sense" from film chiefs that it is the correct time to bow out.
Michael told SFX magazine: "I love working with everyone involved but there was a shares sense that it was time to end on a high. You want to stop at the peak. You don't want to be the one who runs a franchise into the ground. This was a rare opportunity to choose when and how to tell that final chapter."
The director admits that he felt pressure to give a perfect ending for ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are played in the film by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively.
The Curse of La Llorona helmer said: "I speak as someone who really loves the series and is fortunate enough to be a part of it, but especially as someone who completely fell in love with the first film.
"I really wanted to bring back that big Conjuring experience: that back-to-basics haunted house movie. To go out in that style."
The Conjuring: Last Rites was filmed in England, even though it is based on a haunting in Pennsylvania, and Chaves enjoyed working in the country for the first time.
He said: "England's got the best people. They're the hardest-working people.
"But in all seriousness, it was my first time working in England, and I had an incredible time. The crew was absolutely amazing – we lucked into some of the most amazing people. And the actors. This is one of the best casts I've had."
Chaves has suggested that the movie will be darker than previous films in The Conjuring Universe.
He said: "This one is really scary.
"You need those high stakes, those really dark moments to give you that sense of conclusion. You need to know that what they're going up against is...
"We're going to be brutal. This is no-holds-barred. Going into it knowing that this is the last chapter allows us to be that ruthless. Even the first scene – it's going to take people off-guard. It really is a terrifying sequence and a real gut punch."
Chaves added: "We have a great conclusion to Ed and Lorraine's story. I'm so excited for people to see it."
The filmmaker is convinced that both Wilson and Farmiga have a sense of nostalgia for the franchise and has become used to the pair's idiosyncrasies in their portrayals of Ed and Lorraine.
He said of the pair: "They love it. They feel so comfortable in it. It's kind of like coming back to your childhood house.
"They've made so many specific dialect decisions for Ed and Lorraine – little things in the way that they talk, the way that they phrase certain words. It's a holistic approach in how they tackle it."
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'You want to stop at the peak': Michael Chaves understands why The Conjuring franchise is ending
Michael Chaves feels it is the right decision to end The Conjuring franchise. The 40-year-old director returns to helm the concluding movie The Conjuring: Last Rites and explained that there was a "shared sense" from film chiefs that it is the correct time to bow out. Michael told SFX magazine: "I love working with everyone involved but there was a shares sense that it was time to end on a high. You want to stop at the peak. You don't want to be the one who runs a franchise into the ground. This was a rare opportunity to choose when and how to tell that final chapter." The director admits that he felt pressure to give a perfect ending for ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are played in the film by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively. The Curse of La Llorona helmer said: "I speak as someone who really loves the series and is fortunate enough to be a part of it, but especially as someone who completely fell in love with the first film. "I really wanted to bring back that big Conjuring experience: that back-to-basics haunted house movie. To go out in that style." The Conjuring: Last Rites was filmed in England, even though it is based on a haunting in Pennsylvania, and Chaves enjoyed working in the country for the first time. He said: "England's got the best people. They're the hardest-working people. "But in all seriousness, it was my first time working in England, and I had an incredible time. The crew was absolutely amazing – we lucked into some of the most amazing people. And the actors. This is one of the best casts I've had." Chaves has suggested that the movie will be darker than previous films in The Conjuring Universe. He said: "This one is really scary. "You need those high stakes, those really dark moments to give you that sense of conclusion. You need to know that what they're going up against is... "We're going to be brutal. This is no-holds-barred. Going into it knowing that this is the last chapter allows us to be that ruthless. Even the first scene – it's going to take people off-guard. It really is a terrifying sequence and a real gut punch." Chaves added: "We have a great conclusion to Ed and Lorraine's story. I'm so excited for people to see it." The filmmaker is convinced that both Wilson and Farmiga have a sense of nostalgia for the franchise and has become used to the pair's idiosyncrasies in their portrayals of Ed and Lorraine. He said of the pair: "They love it. They feel so comfortable in it. It's kind of like coming back to your childhood house. "They've made so many specific dialect decisions for Ed and Lorraine – little things in the way that they talk, the way that they phrase certain words. It's a holistic approach in how they tackle it."
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