The Nun 2 Trailer Resurrects Valak With Hellfire-Inspired Vengeance

Pray for mercy, folks. One of the most feared characters in "The Conjuring" universe is back in the habit of scaring the heck out of us in "The Nun 2." The ninth film in the franchise that's been going for a decade sees Taissa Farmiga reprise her role as Sister Anne, who hears familiar bumps in the night and is facing a familiar face that's all teeth and bringing anything but peace.

Set four years after the first sisterly spin-off involving Valak (Bonnie Aarons), Sister Anne is thankfully not alone in her second round with the iconic evil. Here she'll be joined by Storm Reid as another nun helping Anne on her mission, Katelyn Rose Downey as Sophie, and Anna Popplewell as Marcella. The only question is just which one of these new folks that are queued up for a fright or two will still be around by the end credits, and how does it connect to the future "Conjuring" chapters when the Valak comes up against the Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga)?

While the film will, of course, have audiences watching from behind their hands or the biggest tub of popcorn available, "The Nun 2" will be making an important alteration that's long overdue in "The Conjuring" franchise. Speaking to Dread Central, writer Akela Cooper revealed that Black representation in the latest installment, which previous films have considerably lacked. During initial talks about the film, Cooper recalled, "That was another part in that meeting where I was like, 'I'm going to put a Black nun in this, you guys,' and they were like, 'Okay, cool.' Bringing more Black people into The Conjuring Universe was another proud moment."

Given Reid's recent elevation in her career after appearing in the "Searching" semi-sequel, "Missing," and breaking our hearts as Riley in "The Last of Us," there's a chance that she won't be another throwaway character that the Nun scares to death. In fact, perhaps this could be a passing of the torch between sisters and another rival against Valak that'll go through hell to be rid of her. See for yourself when "The Nun 2" hovers into theatres on September 8, 2023.