A Quick Guide to 'The Conjuring' Movies!

Some of the most iconic horror movie franchises have been created over the last few decades -- Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to name a few. The Conjuring franchise, or The Conjuring Universe as many fans call it, is loosely based on real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, as they take on well-known haunting incidents. Consisting of three films, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the franchise is the brainchild of modern horror master James Wan, who also brought us the Saw and Insidious franchises. It has been financially successful, generating a total of $2.1 billion, making it the highest-grossing horror series in history. This franchise has also inspired two spin-off series: The Annabelle franchise, consisting of 3 films, and The Nun franchise, consisting of 2 films. With Warner Bros. annoucing this week that the final film in The Conjuring Universe, The Conjuring: Last Rites, has begun production, let's break down the previous three movies so you can be prepared for the finale!

1. The Conjuring (2013)

The franchise started with the first film, simply titled The Conjuring, which was released in July of 2013. Inspired by real events that took place in 1971, the Warrens investigate a witch’s curse left on a farmhouse in rural Rhode Island. As more paranormal events begin to occur, the family calls in the investigators, played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, who help the family exorcise the mother after being possessed by an evil spirit named Bathsheba. The film also stars Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Joey King, and Mackenzie Foy. Stream on Max.

2. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

The second movie, The Conjuring 2, has the Warrens investigating the notorious Enfield Case that occurred in London in the late-'70s. The Hodgson family begins to sense paranormal activity after one of their children brings home a ouija board. When the family starts to gain attention from the media, a man who previously died in the house possesses the second-eldest child. When the Warrens are called in to investigate, they at first think it’s a hoax and leave after believing the family just wants attention, but they return when they realize the spirit is a pawn in a bigger demon's game. Lorraine is able to condemn the demon back to hell, freeing the child of her possession. The Hodgson family is played by Frances O’Connor, Madison Wolfe, Lauren Esposito, Benjamin Haigh, and Patrick McAuley. (Stream on Max.)

3. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

The most recent film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, came back to America to follow a similar story to the notorious 1981 court case in the U.S. where the defense tried to prove their innocence under the claims of demonic possession. When a police officer finds a man covered in blood just casually walking down the road having no idea how he got there or what had just happened, the Warrens get called in. Taking on a case with the most twists and turns possible, the Warrens take on an investigation into the paranormal unlike anything they have ever encountered. Stars include Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, and John Noble. (Stream on Max.)

With the final installment of the series now in production and set to be released on September 5, 2025, fans have speculated that the film will take on either the Smurl haunting (which took place in the 1980s in Pennsylvania) or the Snedeker haunting, which was already brought to the big screen in 2009's The Haunting in Connecticut. Although fans have high hopes for these cases to be covered, with their love for the franchise, everyone is excited for the 2025 release date nonetheless!