"The Nun" is making its way back to movie theaters to frighten fans once again.
Will the demon Valak prevail over Sister Irene this time?
And how will it all connect to the broader "Conjuring" universe?
On August 24, 2022, Warner Bros. announced some updates to its slate of upcoming film releases.
While its most notable schedule changes concerned tentpole superhero projects, that announcement
also included the first mention of a release date for "The Nun 2."
The planned release date for the horror sequel is September 8, 2023, almost exactly five
years after the release of the first film, which came out on September 7, 2018.
While less than five years will have passed in the film's timeline, here in the real world,
it's been a while since a "Nun" solo feature was released.
But three other Conjuring Universe films have come out since then: "The Curse of La Llorona"
and "Annabelle Comes Home," both in 2019, and 2021's "The Conjuring: The Devil Made
Me Do It."
Unsurprisingly, most of the plot details about "The Nun 2" haven't been made public.
But according to the studio's official description, we know that it will take place four years
after the first film.
A priest has been murdered, and the evil behind it is spreading.
As a result, Sister Irene — our hero from the first movie — is returning for duty.
After battling the evil spirit in the original flick, she's a savvy demonologist this time
around, and the only one who's seen this kind of carnage before.
"It's okay to be scared.
I'm scared, too."
The film's trailer promises that those who watch "The Nun 2" will finally "discover the
truth behind the greatest evil in The Conjuring Universe."
Other than that, we don't know much else about the upcoming sequel.
Warner Bros. seems to be keeping the plot strictly under wraps.
"The Nun 2" is bringing back two key actors from the first film: Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons.
Farmiga, who's perhaps most famous for starring in multiple seasons of "American Horror Story,"
plays the heroic Sister Irene.
As for Aarons — who's been in films including "Mulholland Drive" and "Silver Linings Playbook"
— she'll be reprising the part of the titular Nun herself, also known as the demon Valak.
Sister Irene won't be the only one trying to stop Valak's reign of evil, of course.
Farmiga will be joined by Storm Reid as another brave nun, hoping to defeat the demon.
Reid is an up-and-coming star who's been part of a number of notable projects in recent
years, including "The Invisible Man," "Euphoria," and "The Last of Us."
Reid shared her excitement for the upcoming horror flick with Collider, saying,
"The character I play is incredible.
I think she really adds some funkiness to the story and I love that.
It is scary, but there are so many character arcs in the film and so many emotions and
journeys that the characters have to go through, I think it works perfectly, [and is] something
that is going to turn into a thing that people really love to watch."
Rounding out the cast is Anna Popplewell from the "Chronicles of Narnia" series playing
a widowed mother.
She'll be joined by Katelyn Rose Downey of "The Princess" and Jonas Bloquet, who plays
the character Frenchie, who was possessed by Valak at the end of the first movie.
James Wan has become one of the biggest names in 21st-century horror.
He's the co-creator of the original "Saw" franchise and the "Insidious" series.
He's also the driving creative force behind "The Conjuring" universe.
Wan directed the first two "Conjuring" films and produced all eight installments of the
franchise up to now, receiving story credit for many of them.
He continues to guide the highest-grossing horror franchise as one of its main creative voices.
Wan has recently branched out in his directorial outings with DC's "Aquaman" series and his
original horror film "Malignant."
So it doesn't seem likely that he'll return to direct another "The Conjuring" entry, but
that doesn't mean that he's said goodbye to the franchise just yet.
Wan returns as an executive producer for "The Nun 2," proving that his influence over the
future of the series remains intact.
After all, what is "The Conjuring" without James Wan?
"It's bittersweet for me to pass the baton on."
The first "Nun" film was directed by Corin Hardy, but the English filmmaker won't be
returning for the sequel.
Instead, directing duties have gone to Michael Chaves, who's well-versed with the ins and
outs of "The Conjuring" universe.
Before helming "The Nun 2," Chaves sat in the director's chair for both "The Curse of
La Llorona" and "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It."
It's clear that producers James Wan and Peter Safran have great faith in his ability to
bring the scares.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Chaves spoke highly of his working relationship with Wan, saying,
"Honestly, I owe my career to James Wan.
I've been a fan of his, just like a lot of you guys.
To have worked with him on 'La Llorona' was honestly one of the best and greatest thrills."
The script for "The Nun 2" is coming from the delightfully twisted mind of Akela Cooper.
Cooper penned two of the wildest horror films in recent memory — Wan's absolutely bonkers
"Malignant" and the blockbuster hit "M3GAN."
Cooper told Dread Central that she was especially happy she was able to create a character for
Storm Reid to play, saying,
"Bringing more Black people into 'The Conjuring' Universe was [a] proud moment."
As we mentioned, "The Nun 2" takes place four years after the first movie, which was set
in 1952.
So both "Nun" movies occur somewhere between the events of "Annabelle: Creation," which
partially takes place in 1943 and 1955.
The first "Annabelle" largely takes place in the late 1960s, and the rest of the horror
franchise generally covers the 1970s and early '80s.
As one of the earliest stories in this horror universe, "The Nun" provides an interesting
backdrop to other installments.
The first "Conjuring" movie reveals that Frenchie, eventually driven mad by Valak, later tries
to kill his wife, and instead tragically kills himself.
"Take Maurice here.
He was a French Canadian farmer with nothing more than a third-grade education, yet after
he was possessed, he spoke some of the best Latin I'd ever heard."
Given that "The Nun 2" takes place quite a bit before "The Conjuring," it may give us
more insight into his internal torment.
The first chapter in "The Nun" saga took place in Romania, shooting on location in Bucharest in 2017.
The horror feature also spent some time in Transylvania, and director Corin Hardy had
a priest bless the set, just in case any vampires showed up.
"The Nun 2" director Michael Chaves has moved production of the sequel to France as Sister
Irene, Frenchie, and the demon travel westward.
Production on "The Nun 2" began in October 2022 and wrapped just before the new year,
with everything shot on location in France.
Unfortunately, we're in the dark about the exact locations where production of "The Nun
2" took place, and we likely won't know much more before the film is released in the fall
of 2023.
But from what we can tell from the trailer, most of the film looks to take place within
the walls of an abbey or convent.
While each installment of "The Conjuring" series features the same main characters,
every "Annabelle" solo film has focused on a different cast, following the cursed object
rather than its owners.
It's possible that "The Nun" could have followed the lead of "Annabelle," but "The Nun 2" seems
to pursue a more traditional sequel format, with many cast members returning for the second film.
At the end of "The Nun," Sister Irene used the literal Blood of Christ to defeat and
depower the demon, who escaped by secretly possessing Frenchie in the final act.
While this ultimately leads to future confrontations between Valak and the Warrens, "The Nun 2"
addresses what Valak is up to in the interim.
It also follows what happens to poor Sister Irene.
The demonic Nun known as Valak is a fallen angel who was summoned through a rift in Romania
during the Dark Ages.
Recognizing the threat, Catholic knights sealed Valak beneath Saint Cartha's monastery with
the Blood of Christ, keeping the demon at bay for hundreds of years.
But that all changed during World War II, when the abbey was bombed and the seal was broken.
Valak kills all the nuns in the abbey, and eventually sets its sights on Sister Irene.
Though we don't know what will happen in "The Nun 2," we know that the titular demon survives
through Frenchie, using him to inflict Lorraine Warren with a vision of her husband Ed's death.
From there, Valak is the catalyst for the events of the first "Conjuring" and "The Conjuring
2," where it reveals itself physically, once again taking the form of the trademark nun.
A demon with a similar name, spelled with a C instead of a K, is described in a number
of grimoires, including "The Lesser Key of Solomon."
With the power to control all sorts of serpents, Valac is known as a president of demons, with
somewhere between 30-38 legions under his control.
The main heroes of "The Conjuring" franchise, Ed and Lorraine Warren, are demonologists
employed by the Catholic Church.
Based on two real-life paranormal investigators whose claims have been widely criticized,
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's fictitious versions of the Warrens are considered two
of the greatest horror protagonists of the big screen.
"Kooks."
"Wackos."
"But we prefer to be known simply as Ed and Lorraine Warren."
The Warrens appeared briefly in "The Nun," connecting the ending to the first "Conjuring,"
but there's been no confirmation that they'll return for the second installment.
It's entirely possible that the film could flash forward once more, revealing something
new about Valak's appearance in "The Conjuring 2."
Given that the first film reused a scene from the first installment, the sequel could easily
pull one from the second.
There's also the matter of Lorraine's vision of Ed's death, which happened in the first "Conjuring" movie.
In "The Conjuring 2," it's revealed that Valak is the demon responsible, and the creature
soon haunts the Warrens and the Hodgson family.
It's unclear why exactly Valak has a specific interest in Ed and Lorraine, so maybe "The
Nun 2" will provide some further answers, even if we know that Lorraine defeats the
demon and saves her husband in the end.
Every new chapter of "The Conjuring" reveals some twisted truths about the world.
Whether they're dark family secrets, hidden sins, or the existence of otherworldly beings,
each installment has us coming back for more.
After three "Conjuring" and "Annabelle" movies, "The Nun," and the loosely connected "The
Curse of La Llorona," you might think that "The Nun 2" wouldn't have much more to offer,
but we're hopeful that it will lead to fresh insights.
Previous installments, including "Annabelle: Creation," which teased Valak's first solo
film, have planted seeds for the next spin-offs or sequels.
"Annabelle Comes Home" did it for "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It."
Even Tony Amendola's Father Perez from the first "Annabelle" reappeared in "The Curse
of La Llorona."
With that in mind, it's entirely possible that "The Nun 2" could have a similar impact
on the forthcoming "The Conjuring: Last Rites."
If nothing else, it's likely to give fans more insight into the true threat of Valak,
and could even tease a possible return in the future.
For a long time, it looked as if "The Conjuring" franchise was rife with spin-off potential.
Not only did Valak the demon nun find new life outside of "The Conjuring 2," but the
possessed doll Anabelle inspired three features.
The Crooked Man was long rumored to follow, but unfortunately, producer James Wan confirmed
in 2022 that "The Crooked Man" is no longer happening.
Though we don't know why, it's certainly not because other spin-off attempts have done
poorly; 2018's "The Nun" is currently the highest-grossing installment of the franchise.
So far, no future spin-offs have been announced.
Only "The Conjuring: Last Rites" is confirmed to be going forward, meaning that the cinematic
universe of "The Conjuring" could very well end with its upcoming 10th installment.
However, that seems unlikely given the success of the franchise thus far.
Whatever happens to the Warrens and their demons next may be a mystery, but there's
no denying the staying power of "The Conjuring."