Sophia Michaels
From “Saw” and “Halloween” to “Scream” and “Paranormal Activity,” so many of our favorite horror films have gone on to become huge franchises with multiple sequel films. However, none top the success of “The Conjuring.” Since launching in 2013, “The Conjuring” movies have made over two billion dollars at the box office, making it the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. A decade after it first began, the franchise is still going strong today. The latest film in “The Conjuring” cinematic universe, “The Nun 2,” is set to hit theaters on Friday, Sept. 8.
“The Nun” is just one of several spin-off franchises that have come out of “The Conjuring.” The others are the “Anabelle” franchise and “The Curse of La Llorona.” In total, there are nine films that are part of this shared universe. Since they all take place in different locations around the world and at different time periods, it can be confusing to keep track of them all. So, how are they all connected? Keep reading for everything there is to know about “The Conjuring” cinematic universe.
What Is “The Conjuring” About?
The film that started it all was “The Conjuring.” It centers around the Perron family, who move into a farmhouse in Rhode Island with their five daughters. After experiencing mysterious supernatural events in their new home, the family contacts demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) to help them get rid of the dark spirits. The story is based on the real-life Warrens, who were a husband and wife duo that investigated cases of alleged hauntings.
“The Conjuring 2” saw Wilson and Farmiga reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine as the couple travels to Enfield, England, to help a single mother and her four children after their home is overtaken by a supernatural entity. The movie is inspired by the Enfield poltergeist case involving the Hodson family. Meanwhile, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” digs into the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed in court that a demon made him kill his landlord, Alan Bono.
How Does “Annabelle” Connect to “The Conjuring”?
The “Anabelle” franchise centers around the doll that’s featured at the beginning of “The Conjuring” film. “Anabelle: Creation” focuses on the doll’s origins by revealing that the real Anabelle was a seven-year-old girl who died in a car accident. After losing their daughter, Samuel and Esther Mullins attempted to see Anabelle again by making a deal with the devil. However, it goes terribly wrong, and the couple accidentally lets the demon attach itself to a porcelain doll in their home. All three films in the “Anabelle” franchise show the demon looking for human hosts to take over as it disguises itself as the doll.
How Does “The Nun” Connect to “The Conjuring”?
“The Nun” follows a demon named Valek who is disguised as a nun and terrorizes an abbey in 1952 Romania. After Father Burke and Sister Irene are sent to investigate the dark force, the duo attempts to banish it into Hell. They think they succeeded; however, the demon is revealed to still be alive and has possessed a man named Maurice. In “The Conjuring,” we learn that Ed and Lorraine investigated Maurice in a past case. Valek later comes back to haunt Lorraine in “The Conjuring 2.”
How Does “The Curse of La Llorona” Connect to “The Conjuring”?
“The Curse of La Llorona” is based on the Latin American folktale about a woman who drowned her children after discovering that her husband was cheating on her. As a ghost, La Llorona — aka, the Weeping Woman — now roams the Earth preying on innocent children. The film follows a caseworker named Anna whose children go missing following an encounter with La Llorona. She seeks help from Father Perez, who also appears in “Anabelle.”
While each of the franchises within “The Conjuring” cinematic universe can stand on its own, watching all nine films is recommended for die-hard fans of the series.
