The Conjuring: Last Rites – Director Michael Chaves on Closing Out the Franchise

The Conjuring: Last Rites director reflects on closing out the franchise. This horror movie is the next installment in the mainline Conjuring series, which stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as couple Lorraine and Ed Warren. This time, the Warrens are back to solve another terrifying case of a haunted family.

This installment is slated to be the final movie in The Conjuring main series. It is directed by Michael Chaves and also includes Ben Hardy, John Brotherton, Elliot Cowan, Beau Gadsdon, Madison Lawlor, and Rebecca Calder in its cast. The film is set for release on September 5.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Chaves discusses taking on The Conjuring: Last Rites. Chaves said it was “an honor” to take on the project, and noted that even franchise creator James Wan pointed out that Chaves would have “directed more Conjuring movies than” he had after Last Rites.

But Chaves was passionate that he wanted to tell the “final chapter” of this story. He says that he and his team “just want to create something that people will fall in love with and keep on watching.” Check out the full quote from Chaves below:

ScreenRant: I think The Conjuring: Last Rites makes you the most prolific director within that universe. How did it feel to be tackling the potential final installment for the Warrens?

Michael Chaves:It was amazing. It was such a great honor. It’s funny because that’s what James Wan said when I signed on. He said, “You’re going to have directed more Conjuring movies than I have. Why do you want to do it?” And I told him that I just thought it’s so rare to be able to do a movie like this, to tell a final chapter, to tell an ending. We’re in this business where you’re always trying to make a movie that’ll spin off and create sequels and a universe, and that’s always the shameless goal.

We just want to create something that people will fall in love with and keep on watching. We’ve had such a great run with a series, and it’s been so beloved for 12 years now. The opportunity to bring it to a close and to tell that final chapter is such an incredible honor. I really couldn’t miss it.

What This Means For The Conjuring: Last Rites

Directing The Conjuring: Last Rites may be “an incredible honor,” but it also comes with tremendous pressure. Between the main-line The Conjuring movies and the Annabelle and other spinoffs, the franchise has made over $2.3 billion worldwide. This makes it the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time, beating huge titles like Alien and It.

The Conjuring 3 made over $206 million worldwide, and the other two movies in the main series had even higher total than that. As such, there is pressure for Chaves’ movie to perform at the box office, and also please fans who have been following the movies for years.

As Chaves also notes, The Conjuring: Last Rites will also give him the most Conjuring movies of any director in the franchise. Previously, this honor went to Wan, who originally created the series. While he has not helmed any spinoffs, Wan directed the first two movies in the main Conjuring series.

Chaves later picked up where he left off with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in 2021. He then directed The Nun II two years later, continuing the expanded universe lore. This franchise experience makes Chaves well-suited to steer this final movie in the right direction.

Our Take On Michael Chaves Directing The Conjuring: Last Rites

Image via Warner Bros.

Chaves’ direction already seems promising for this horror sequel. The Conjuring: Last Rites trailer looks genuinely scary, which will absolutely satisfy fans. The director’s recent quote also shows that he has a genuine passion for these horror movies, which is another great sign for The Conjuring: Last Rites.