We don’t have too long to wait for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, with the sequel set to arrive on HBO Max and in limited theaters on June 4th. Director Michael Chaves has previously spoken about the film, which explores an actual legal case alleging demonic culpability, as the darkest that The Conjuring franchise has tackled. However, star Vera Farmiga has said that it’s more of a love story than a horror tale.
Appearing at a press conference for the release, she had this to say:
“What I find fascinating is they [the Warrens] are the personification of love… it’s more of a love story than it is a horror story to me and that’s what makes it so unique and successful. And that’s why I enjoy coming back, I think that, that message of love – not only for the Warrens for each other, but for the work that they do and for the people that they help. Y’know, that selflessness, that compassion, that embodiment of love is really, really something holy and special that makes it digestible and beautiful.”
It’s certainly clear from their previous on-screen portrayals that Ed and Lorraine Warren are the emotional heart of the hit series, with their often straightforward approach to the supernatural helping to offset the various hauntings they’ve had to deal with. As Farmiga points out, there tends to be a strain of goodness that allows the Warrens and other characters to overcome the at times daunting odds.
The real Ed and Lorraine were married in 1945, and were together until their deaths in 2006 and 2019. The couple’s paranormal files, which have included the likes of the Annabelle doll haunting and Amityville, have provided the basis for the Conjuring universe and other movie and television adaptations of their careers. Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will be playing them for the fourth time in The Devil Made Me Do It, which is believed to delve into Lorraine’s growing powers and its effect on Ed and their marriage.
The use of the Arne Cheyenne Johnson incident in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is also expected to tie into the Warrens taking part in an exorcism, and how it then led to Johnson’s argument that he was possessed when murdering his landlord. And with both Farmiga and Wilson keen to return for more performances, and at least three projects reportedly in development for the property as a whole, it looks like fans can continue to look forward to more from the franchise.