After The Conjuring: Last Rites scared up nearly half a billion dollars worldwide, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are wasting no time diving back into the supernatural world that fans can’t seem to get enough of.
A brand-new prequel is officially in the works, and it sounds like the studio is eyeing an interesting new filmmaker to bring it to life.
According to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, New Line has greenlit the next Conjuring movie following the monster success of Last Rites, which earned over $487 million globally. Rising director Rodrigue Huart is reportedly in talks to helm the upcoming prequel, marking his first major studio feature.
Huart’s short film Transylvanie won the Midnight Short Jury Award at SXSW 2024, and his other projects, Trigger and Real, premiered at Fantasia 2024, showcasing his unique blend of found-footage terror and digital storytelling.
Earlier this year, Paramount Pictures picked up his script for Suffer Little Children, a reimagining of the 1976 Spanish horror film Who Can Kill a Child?, with Walter Hamada on board as producer.
Hamada, who has been deeply tied to The Conjuring Universe from the very beginning, has played a huge role in shaping the franchise’s ongoing success. As an executive producer, he’s been part of every film in the franchise, so his continued partnership with Huart could have helped bring the young filmmaker into the fold.
The Conjuring: Last Rites served as the emotional and supernatural farewell for Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, closing out the story of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The film explored the infamous Smurl haunting and brought the Warrens’ arc to a haunting, and in my opion, unsatisfying conclusion. With their chapter now closed, the next phase of the franchise looks set to explore new corners of the dark mythology.
If Huart signs on, this would mark the first Conjuring Universe film since Annabelle Comes Home (2019) not directed by Chaves, which would be a welcome creative shake-up as we see where the demonic universe goes next.
