New Line Reportedly Developing ‘The Conjuring’ Prequel Movie With Rodrigue Huart Directing

This year’s The Conjuring: Last Rites was billed as the final installment in the franchise universe, a claim that director Michael Chaves recently doubled down on. Chaves told ComicBook.com after the film’s successful release in theaters, “It is done. This is the final chapter. There’s no other Conjuring movies. It is absolutely the end.”

Since Last Rites has broken box office records (it has so far grossed $480 million globally), it looks like they're walking back their words because a prequel film is now in development at Warner Bros. and New Line, with short film director Rodrigue Huart in talks to direct.

According to reports, franchise veterans Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who co-wrote the two prior “Conjuring” films, 2023’s “The Nun II” and this September’s “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” are on board to pen the screenplay. No deals have closed at this time.

Since it is a prequel, it's not clear if Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will be reprising their iconic roles in some compacity (since it is a prequel, I would think they would focus on their younger selves, which we were introduced to in Last Rites). but the prequel is set to focus on the early years of the paranormal hunting couple.

In addition to the movie, HBO is developing a prequel TV series that will continue the story established in the feature films. Nancy Won was recently hired as the show’s writer, executive producer and showrunner.

In addition to directing The Conjuring prequel, he is also writing and directing a remake of the 1976 Spanish horror film “Who Can Kill a Child?” for Paramount titled Suffer Little Children.