Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Patrick Wilson isn’t done with the world of demons and hauntings just yet.
A new chapter for The Conjuring franchise may be unfolding, even if its longtime star isn’t sure he’ll be part of it.
Patrick Wilson, who has helped anchor the series for more than a decade, says he’s open to returning, but has no clarity on whether that will happen.
Across three main films and multiple spinoffs, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have portrayed real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, guiding audiences through dramatized versions of the couple’s notorious cases.
Final chapter?
The latest installment, The Conjuring: Last Rites, was promoted as the pair’s final investigation, following the Smurl family’s alleged demonic haunting in Pennsylvania.
Although reviews lagged behind earlier films, the movie became the franchise’s top earner, taking in just under $500 million worldwide.
Speaking with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan while promoting the Netflix drama Jay Kelly, Wilson said he learned about a newly announced prequel, focused on the Warrens’ early work, at the same time as the public.
He said he had been unaware of Warner Bros.’ plans to widen the universe further.
Wilson added that he still doesn’t know whether he or Farmiga will return as Ed and Lorraine, describing Last Rites as “the end of this chapter.” Even so, he left the possibility open.
Room for more
“I adore Vera. We’re super close. And Ed Warren lived into his seventies. I think there’s more story somewhere.
But this is the end of this chapter. We’re told that. I’m not being coy, that’s literally what we’ve been told.
And that’s fine. It’s all good. We had a great run. What lies ahead? No idea,” he said.
With nearly two decades between the events of Last Rites and Ed Warren’s death, future stories could draw from the six books the couple authored or the many publications they contributed to.
The franchise has rarely moved in a straight timeline, often looping backward, as seen in Annabelle Comes Home, which repositioned events around the first film and again featured Wilson and Farmiga.
Future formats
Another potential home for the duo is the developing Conjuring series at HBO Max.
The project resurfaced in September when Nancy Won was named showrunner. No plot details have been released, though a series format could fill in timeline gaps that the films have left open.
Despite Wilson’s uncertainty, the franchise’s reliance on the Warrens makes their absence difficult to imagine.
And with Last Rites setting a new box-office peak, studio interest in revisiting the original pair appears far from fading.
Sources: ScreenRant, Variety
