With the highly anticipated fourth and final installment ofThe Conjuringsaga set to hit theaters this September, we could not be more thrilled to seePatrick WilsonandVera Farmigaback together again as Ed and Lorraine Warren. These fictionalized versions of the real-life ghost-hunting duo have been solidified in the horror canon as the genre’s best married protagonists, and their love story serves as the anchor for the entire franchise. But withThe Conjuring: Last Ritesset to close this chapter of Ed and Lorraine’s life together, the best way for the Conjuring Universe to continue beyond the films is to migrate to television — and to follow the younger versions of this beloved couple.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Teases a Young Ed and Lorraine — and We Want More
Teasing the upcomingLast Rites,Entertainment Weeklyshed some light on the final installment of"Phase One" of The Conjuring Universe(and Ed and Lorraine’s send-off). In addition to serving as a climactic finale that ties the whole film series together, the fourthConjuringwill also mark the end of this first chapter in the larger universe. However it plays out, it will undoubtedly be a bittersweet moment for us longtimeConjuringfans, especially those of us who got into horror largely because of these movies.
But theEWpiecerevealed something particularly interesting aboutLast Rites. In addition to showing the end of the Warrens' career as paranormal investigators,it also teases that we’ll be getting some flashbacks to Ed and Lorraine’s early life and career together, withyounger versions of the charactersplayed byOrion SmithandMadison Lawlor. Smith and Lawlor appear to be taking over fromMitchell HoogandMegan Ashley Brown, who previously played the younger Ed and Lorraine fromThe Conjuring:The Devil Made Me Do It.
While we don’t know much about what Smith and Lawlor will be up to as these younger characters, it does evoke some interesting thoughts about how the franchise may continue beyond Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s involvement.Perhaps the key to the Conjuring Universe’s future lies in its past. Prequels likeThe NunandAnnabellefilms have garnered a following of their own, and the way in which they tie into the larger Warren story proves thatthere are various mediums through which theConjuringcould expand its reach. The truth is, there is a lot we don’t know about the early years of Ed and Lorraine’s marriage. When did they start investigating the paranormal together? What were some of those early cases like? How did it affect their marriage, and how did they become the strong couple we see in the films? Using Smith and Lawlor’s interpretations of the characters could open brand-new doors and offer the audience something familiar while still shifting into a new era for the franchise.
A ‘Conjuring’ Prequel Series Is Full of Untapped Potential
When you consider all the different artifacts, cursed objects, and horror stories that fill the Warrens' occult museum, the possibilities are endless for what a young Ed and Lorraine show could be. When we first meet the Warrens inThe Conjuring, they already have an entire room full of cursed and possessed objects at their disposal.This would give us the chance to see how all of that came to be in the first place. Given that there have already beentalks about aConjuringtelevision series, this take on the franchise — which echoes whatSupernaturaldid when expanding into the prequel seriesThe Winchestersyears ago — would not only allow for us to see the initial Ed and Lorraine romance unfold, but it would give us the context for everything that they would face together in the future. Who knows, it may even be able to address some of the franchise’s other unanswered questions, including the connection between Lorraine and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga)as noted inThe Nun II.
Additionally, by pivoting the story to television,The Conjuringcould become an anthology-like series with a young Ed and Lorraine as our guides(almost in the style ofTheYoung Indiana Jones Chronicles). Even better, perhaps Wilson and Farmiga could provide additional narration, not unlike theoneYoung Indiana Jonesepisode thatHarrison Fordappeared in. Again, it would be such a thrill to see the beginnings of Ed and Lorraine’s romance and career, especially as they encounter some of these demonic adversaries for the very first time. A paranormal procedural following a married couple is something that hasn’t often been done before, and there is no better franchise than The Conjuring Universe to lead the charge. Plus, it would be the perfect way to continue the universe without the two main leads, but while still keeping the Warrens a part ofwhatever the franchise’s “Phase Two” entails.
The Conjuring: Last Ritesis set to hit theaters on August 02, 2025.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
