After a record-breaking opening for Last Rites, a Conjuring prequel is reportedly in the works, but there's a chance producer James Wan may not be involved

Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: Last Rites
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

After The Conjuring: Last Rites' record-breaking box office opening, it's not surprising to hear more movies could be on the way – even though this installment was billed as a final outing.

Last Rites has made $194 million at the global box office since it was released on September 5, making it the biggest horror opening ever (2017's IT previously held the record with $190 million).

According to Puck News, Warner Bros. is already planning a potential prequel, but producer James Wan (who directed the first two Conjuring movies) is reportedly in a pay dispute with the studio. The publication reports that he wants to be paid more for producing duties, but Warners isn't budging and Wan is threatening to walk away from the franchise.

The Conjuring franchise launched in 2013 with Wan's movie of the same name. Three sequels, including Last Rites, have followed, focusing on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), along with several spin-offs about the demonic entities they've encountered along the way.

It's the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time, bringing in a total of $2.4 billion worldwide at the box office over the last 12 years.

Last Rites is based on the real-life Smurl haunting, which saw a Pennsylvania couple claim that their home was inhabited by a demon for 15 years in the '70s and '80s.

The Conjuring: Last Rites is out now in theaters. For more, fill out your watchlist with our picks of the best upcoming horror movies still to come in 2025.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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