The Conjuring: Last Rites Cast, Possible Plotlines, Writer, Producers And More Details

For a decade now, Ed and Lorraine Warren have been the straight-laced, demon-fighting superheroes we never knew we needed. The holy duo — based on the real-life spiritualist couple of the same name — first showed up in 2013's "The Conjuring," where they put their very souls on the line to save the poor Perron family from demonic attack. Since then, they've battled all sorts of evil spirits in their never-ending crusade against the forces of darkness.

Now, the Warrens are back for a fourth outing with "The Conjuring: Last Rites." That title sounds pretty ominous, right? Will this be the Warrens' final stand? Will the husband-and-wife team be played by the same two stars? And just how scary are things going to get this time around? Well, say your prayers, hold your crucifix tight, and stay away from any evil dolls or freaky-looking nuns as we break down everything you need to know about "The Conjuring: Last Rites."

We last saw the Warrens in action back in 2021, when they faced off against Isla the Occultist in "The Devil Made Me Do It." The film hit theaters and HBO Max on the same day, but don't expect that release strategy for "Last Rites." Under CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros. has been putting a heavy emphasis on the theatrical experience, so the fourth "Conjuring" movie will play solely on the big screen before moving over to streaming. Unfortunately, we're not sure when the film will be released, but if you want to hang out in the creepy world of "The Conjuring" universe, "The Nun 2" will frighten fans on September 8, 2023. That'll probably hold you over until the Warrens return to do battle with some demons.

At this moment, we know very little about "The Conjuring: Last Rites." However, it has been announced that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will be returning to play our favorite exorcists. After all, you can't make a "Conjuring" movie without Wilson and Farmiga — they're the heroes of the franchise, and not only do they bring gravitas to their parts as God-fearing Satan-slayers, they also imbue their characters with real humanity and affection for one another. Honestly, the cinematic Ed and Lorraine are serious couples goals, so we're pretty psyched to see these two return. As for the rest of the cast, we're unsure who will show up, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we find out.

At the moment, there's no official plot synopsis for what sorts of devilry might go down in the fourth "Conjuring" film. However, we have a hunch that it might have something to do with a familiar and frightening face.

Be warned: We're about to spoil the ending of "The Nun Part II."

The demon Valak has been a major antagonist in the "Conjuring" franchise since the very first film. When we first met the Warrens in the original 2013 movie, they were giving a lecture on the possession of Maurice "Frenchie" Theriault — the poor human vessel for Valak — and we got our proper introduction to the demon when it appeared in its iconic Nun form in "The Conjuring 2."

The spirit then got its own pair of spinoff films, and in "The Nun Part II," the heroic Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) is seemingly able to exorcize poor Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) and free him from Valak's control. However, that's evidently not the end of the story. In the film's post-credit scene — set in the franchise's main timeline — Ed and Lorraine Warren receive a phone call from Father Gordon (Steve Coulter), and when Ed answers the phone, he asks, "How can we help?"

As this happens at the end of "The Nun Part II," we're assuming this is a set-up for a final showdown with Valak in "Last Rites." In fact, "Nun Part II" director Michael Chaves has confirmed as much, telling Entertainment Weekly, "This is going to be that final chapter, so it is a little bit of a tease of that."

The first two "Conjuring" movies were helmed by horror maestro James Wan, while the threequel was directed by Michael Chaves (who also oversaw the "Conjuring" spinoff "The Curse of La Llorona"). Will either one of these two frightening filmmakers be sitting behind the camera for "Last Rites?" At the moment, we're not sure, although we do know Wan will be producing the movie alongside Peter Safran.

We also know who will be writing the fourth chapter of the Warrens' story. The screenplay will be penned by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who's also responsible for "The Conjuring 2" and "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it." Johnson-McGoldrick has a fondness for the horror genre, as he also was the scribe for "Orphan," and he evidently has a pretty good working relationship with Wan, as he wrote the screenplays for both "Aquaman" movies.

So ... what's up with that title? "Last Rites?" Obviously, that can be a reference to the religious ritual performed among certain Christian denominations as someone is dying. But could it also mean that the fourth "Conjuring" movie is the final installment in the Ed and Lorraine saga?

It seems possible. We know that Warner Bros. plans on making an HBO Max series set in the "Conjuring" universe, and the folks at Max have said the TV project will "continue the story established in the feature films."

Driving the nail even further into that coffin, producer James Wan has implied this could be the last time we see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga engaging in spiritual warfare. In January 2023, he sat down with Collider and explained, "With the 'Conjuring' films, we are very precious about [them]. And so we kind of want to just take our time to make sure we get it right and to make sure the emotion of the Warren stories that we want to tell, and moving into, and potentially wrapping up — we just want to make sure that it's the right thing, the right story that we're telling."

That's right — Wan said they could be "potentially wrapping up" the Warren saga. However, later on in the same interview, the producer was asked if this would indeed be the final installment. "We never know," he responded. "You never know. We'll see." So perhaps the Warrens will continue to live on theater screens? At this point in time, we just can't say for sure.

While we're waiting for "Last Rites" to possess audiences everywhere, you might want to revisit the thrills and chills of the Warrens' other adventures. To go back to where it all started, you'll need to check out 2013's "The Conjuring," which introduced us to both the couple and the terrifying yet iconic Anabelle doll. (Plus, the film features perhaps the most terrifying jump scare in horror history). At the moment, the movie is streaming on Max, or you can rent it for $3.99 on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.

In the sequel, "The Conjuring 2," Ed and Lorraine head over to London to investigate the infamous Enfield poltergeist. While they hope to rescue another family in danger, they may have met their match this time — especially with the appearance of Valak, the demonic nun. If you want to hear Patrick Wilson sing an Elvis song while dealing with some of the scariest spirits in the series, you can rent "The Conjuring 2" for $3.99 on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.

In the most recent "Conjuring" movie, "The Devil Made Me Do It," we witness a fictionalized version of the Arne Cheyenne Johnson trial, which made history when Johnson claimed he was innocent of murder due to demonic possession. As the Warrens try to clear Johnson's name, they find themselves up against an evil occultist who might be more powerful than our two demonologists. You can stream the third "Conjuring" movie on Max, or you can rent it for $3.99 on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.