The Conjuring franchise is at it again, because of course it is. The next installment in the never-ending series will be a prequel, because what’s a successful franchise without a few dozen prequels, right? The Conjuring: First Communion will explore the early days of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, because the world was just missing that piece of the puzzle. The new film will star Garrett Wareing and Amanda Fix as the aforementioned ghost hunters, replacing Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have been portraying the characters for the past nine movies.
The Conjuring universe has been a cash cow for Warner Bros., with nine movies under its belt and no signs of slowing down. The franchise has spawned four main films and five spinoffs, including three movies about the creepy doll Annabelle and two about a ghostly nun. The most recent film, The Conjuring: Last Rites, was supposed to be the final installment in the series, but it ended up being a massive hit, grossing almost half a billion dollars worldwide. Because Hollywood loves a good money-maker, the studio has decided to revive the franchise with a prequel instead of a sequel. It’s a move that’s reminiscent of the Friday the 13th franchise, which titled its fourth film The Final Chapter only to follow it up with A New Beginning. Ah, the classic “we meant it this time” trope.
The Conjuring Franchise: A Never-Ending Story
The Conjuring series has been a staple of modern horror, with its blend of jump scares and creepy atmosphere. The films have been successful in part due to the chemistry between Wilson and Farmiga, who have become synonymous with the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren. The new film, The Conjuring: First Communion, will likely try to recapture that magic with its new cast, but it’s hard not to feel like we’ve been here before. The franchise has been mined for all it’s worth, with spinoffs and sequels aplenty. It’s a testament to the power of nostalgia and the public’s willingness to shell out money for familiar brands.
The prequel is scheduled to hit theaters on September 10, 2027, because what’s a summer without a few horror movies to scare the living daylights out of audiences? The film’s title, The Conjuring: First Communion, is clever, but it’s hard not to wonder what other tricks the franchise has up its sleeve. Will we see a reboot of the series in 10 years? A remake of the original film? The possibilities are endless, and the merchandising opportunities are probably being explored as we speak. Somewhere, an executive is whispering “can this become a trilogy?” and the marketing department is salivating at the prospect of selling more tickets and branded merchandise.
Hollywood’s Reliance on Familiar Franchises
The Conjuring franchise is just one example of Hollywood’s reliance on familiar brands and intellectual properties. The industry is built on the idea that audiences will flock to see movies that they’re familiar with, and the Conjuring series is no exception. The franchise has been successful, and Warner Bros. is wise to try and capitalize on that success. However, it’s hard not to feel like we’re stuck in a cycle of nostalgia, with studios constantly reaching back into the vaults to revive old franchises and characters. The Content Mines remain fully operational, and it’s a wonder that they haven’t run out of material yet.
In the end, The Conjuring: First Communion will likely be a successful film, if only because it’s a Conjuring movie. The franchise has a built-in audience, and the prequel will probably do well at the box office. But it’s hard not to feel a sense of exhaustion, a sense that we’ve seen it all before. The merchandising opportunities have probably expanded faster than the screenplay, and the Franchise Resurrection Department is no doubt working overtime to come up with the next big thing. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – and the Conjuring franchise is most definitely not broke. Yet.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
