In light of Annabelle: Creation‘s release (our review), The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with James Wan to get the inside scoop on his tentative plans for The Nun and how it’ll tie into Warner Bros. and New Line’s overarching Conjuring universe.
Currently at the helm of the Aquaman solo movie, Wan is one of the key architects involved behind the scenes of The Conjuring franchise, having directed the first two instalments before laying the necessary groundwork for numerous spinoff movies, including The Nun and the recently announced Crooked Man.
The former horror flick is coming to us by way of Corin Hardy, the filmmaker currently attached to reboot The Crow. Before that long-troubled project can take flight, though, Hardy and his team will be cordially inviting moviegoers to experience a dark new chapter set within The Conjuring universe. And providing the box office figures are to New Line’s liking, it may receive a sequel of its own, similar to the aforementioned Annabelle.
Here’s Wan on what the future may hold:
I do know where potentially, if The Nun works out, where The Nun 2 could lead to. and how that ties back to Lorraine’s story that we’ve set up with the first two Conjurings and make it all come all full circle.
Also, fun fact: before it was known as The Conjuring universe, James Wan originally envisioned his interconnected franchise as The Warren Files. Named after real-life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Nun is poised to keep things in the family after casting Taissa Farmiga, the daughter of series stalwart Vera Farmiga (Lorraine Warren).
Per THR:
Very early on, I wanted to call the Conjuring films The Warren Files. And so that was going to be a more encompassing sort of umbrella name for this whole world. We didn’t end up going with that title, obviously, but I guess that spirit has always sort of lingered around.
Set within the universe created by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes, The Nun has pulled together an all-star including, Farmiga, Demian Bichir, Bonnie Aarons, Charlotte Hope, Jonas Bloquet and Ingrid Bisu.
Directed by Corin Hardy, The Nun will be unleashed upon horror fans the world over on July 13th, 2018. Beyond that, there are also plans in place for a third Conjuring movie and The Crooked Man, neither of which have firm release dates at this time.
