The highest-grossing horror franchise returns for another exorcism by jump scares and demonic hauntings. Hot on the case are Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: Last Rites, arriving at Cineworld 5th September.
You'd be forgiven this might be our last jaunt in the Conjuring Universe given the title. However, rest assured, CCO of New Line Cinema Richard Brener confirmed the movie will only wrap up Phase One of the universe, paving way for a, no doubt, even more frightening Phase Two. Of course, whether the Warrens make it out alive after fratinising with the paranormal, we'll have to wait to watch The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Want to understand where the next instalment fits in the timeline and watch the Conjuring Universe in order? Catch up with all the associated creaks, bangs and scares to have featured in the franchise thus far with our handy timeline. You can also book to watch the first three films in the core franchise, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, when they're reissued at Cineworld ahead of the release of Last Rites.
1. The Nun (takes place in 1952)
A novitiate nun and a lapsed priest confront evil in a forbidding Romanian monastery in the first Conjuring Universe movie (at least, chronologically speaking). The Nun acts as the inception point for the hideous Valak, a demon disguised as a sister in religious orders (with more than a passing resemblance to Marilyn Manson). Valak would later appear to terrorise Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring 2.
2. Annabelle: Creation (takes place, mostly, in 1952)
The origins of the possessed doll Annabelle are teased at (if not made all that explicable) in this prequel movie. The film actually begins with an opening car accident salvo, set in 1943, before the bulk of the action takes place in 1955 at a children's orphanage where the chilling Annabelle runs riot (not literally). Confusingly, the post-credits scene for this movie acts as an introduction to the events of The Nun, although the bulk of Annabelle: Creation's narrative takes place afterward...
3. The Nun II (takes place in 1956)
Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) returns from The Nun and she once again has to battle the forces of evil. Following the events of the previous movie, Sister Irene finds herself at a French boarding school where the pupils and staff soon begin to act strangely. To Irene's horror, she discovers that the evil demon that was thought to be vanquished has resurfaced...
4. Annabelle (takes place in 1967)
Several years later a chic 1960s couple, the Forms, take possession of the Annabelle doll, unaware of its grisly past. They later witness a hideous, Charles Manson-style murder across the street from their house, and are soon attacked by the killers. It turns out that the main female culprit is the grown-up orphan Annabelle Higgins from the earlier movies, and she eventually takes her own life while clutching the doll, cementing their twisted bond – and spelling doom for the Forms.
5. Annabelle Comes Home (takes place in either 1969 or 1972)
This is a slightly complicated one. At the start, the Warrens place Annabelle in their museum of paranormal curiosities – that means it starts in 1968. We then skip ahead to 1969 as the Warrens' daughter Judy finds herself terrorised by the doll. However, this is complicated by the presence of a music box that Ed Warren placed in the museum during the events of The Conjuring – set in 1971. Yep, we're starting to glaze over a bit like Annabelle's expression.
6. The Conjuring (takes place in 1971)
The first Conjuring movie to be released in cinemas (in 2013) was a huge box office hit, director James Wan fashioning a nostalgic riff on classic ghost story conventions as seen in The Haunting (1963), The Amityville Horror (1977) and others. It served as our introduction to the intrepid Ed and Lorraine, bringing us the case of a Rhode Island farmhouse haunted by an evil witch. It was also the first time we got to see Annabelle up there on the big screen, although she was a more tangential presence in this one.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (takes place in 1973)
The Conjuring Universe expanded into Mexican lore with the story of the 'crying woman', a spectre with a penchant for terrorising families. The film's chronological position is confirmed when Father Perez (Tony Amendola) refers to battling with a possessed doll – locating this after the events of both Annabelle and the first Conjuring. While not considered an official installment in the franchise, if you're going all in on a rewatch, this definitely deserves to sit among the timeline.
8. The Conjuring 2 (takes place, mostly, in 1977)
In the action-packed Conjuring sequel, we have a brief opening segueway into the notorious Amityville hauntings (1976), before the majority of the movie moves to Blighty. There, Ed and Lorraine must confront a dangerous poltergeist lurking in a seemingly unassuming suburban house. Even before we get to that, Lorraine is tormented by the spectre of evil nun Valak, and in the midst of the Enfield terror, we get introduced to a toothy new character called 'The Crooked Man'. We're still awaiting his spin-off movie.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (takes place in 1981)
The third movie featuring the Warrens combines courtroom drama with alleged paranormal activity. It dramatises the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (played in the movie by Ruari O'Connor), a young man on trial for killing his landlord. However, as per the movie, he then attempts to use demonic possession as a case for his defence, and the ensuing mystery drags in Ed and Lorraine, too.
BOOK THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT TICKETS
10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (takes place in 1986)
A sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, it's five years later and and Ed and Lorraine Warren are embarking on one final case. Based on the true-life investigations of the Smurl haunting (that took place across the 70s and 80s), Jack and Janet move their family into their dream brand new home, only to learn there is a nightmare already living there – and the Warrens may have met this strain of demonic being before...
The Conjuring: Last Rites arrives at Cineworld on 5th September with tickets soon to go on sale. Get yours!
BOOK THE CONJURING: LAST RITES TICKETS
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