The stars of The Conjuring: Last Rites, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, are sharing positive words about their director, Michael Chaves. They say he brings a special kind of energy to the scary movie set. The film is the fourth main movie in the popular horror series. It is set to release on September 5, 2025. Farmiga and Wilson are back as the famous paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. They talked about their experience working with Chaves again.
Chaves has directed other movies in The Conjuring Universe. These include The Nun II and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. The new movie is said to be the last chapter for the Warrens. Farmiga and Wilson have worked with Chaves before. They say his happy and supportive style makes the hard work of making a horror movie much better.
Vera Farmiga explained how Chaves makes everyone feel good about their work.
“Chaves brings joy. His cup runneth over with joy. Itโs his ability to feel joy and to express it. Thatโs the most beautiful thing about Chaves. I mean, I could just be doing a 180-degree slow turn, and he makes me feel like itโs the best head turn heโs ever seen, and heโs just effusive. But as Iโm doing it, I have to keep a still face as heโs emoting in the distance. And heโs just so dang cheerful and joyful. He just relishes these scares, and the way he guides us through” .
Patrick Wilson talked about how Chaves has grown as a director.
“I think on the professional side, heโs now four movies into his horror oeuvre. Heโs much more confident. His confidence, his passionโand heโs pushing himself technically, which I think is really great. Heโs in such a great space for someone whoโs got this reverence for the series, but is also able to infuse his own passion and skill and the things that heโs learned along the way. And he still asks, ‘Okay, how can I push myself?’ So, thatโs the Chaves that weโre getting here, which is really, really, really exciting” .
The Final Case for the Warrens
The Conjuring: Last Rites is expected to be the last movie for Ed and Lorraine Warren. The story is inspired by the real-life Smurl haunting case from the 1980s. The Warrens are called to help a family facing a very powerful evil. The film also introduces new actors. Mia Tomlinson plays the Warrens’ daughter, Judy. Ben Hardy plays her boyfriend, Tony Spera .
The movie is directed by Michael Chaves. The script was written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. The story comes from James Wan and Johnson-McGoldrick. Wan and Peter Safran are the producers . The crew finished filming in November 2024 .
Director’s Own Paranormal Experience
While making the movie, Director Michael Chaves had his own strange experience. He says he stayed in a possibly haunted house in England. This happened during filming. He shared his story.
“While shooting in England, I swear to God I was living in a haunted house. It was called The Old Vicarageโone of those places that doesnโt even have an address, just a name. It was in this lovely neighborhood. And though I usually would go for a small place, I had my family with me, so we wound up at The Old Vicarage. It was called that because vicars, when they came to town and were working at the church, would reside there. The place was probably a couple hundred years old” .
Chaves described odd events. These included a strange shadow in a photo and voices when no one else was home. This experience made him believe more in the supernatural. It also helped him connect with the movie’s story .
The movie will include flashbacks showing a younger Ed and Lorraine Warren. Actors Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor play these younger versions. In an interview, they talked about the pressure of playing these famous characters.
Lawlor said she was a fan of the movies first.
“I was terrified. I think they do a really effective job of being super scary, but I loved them too because I love that they have the relationship that you really get invested in between Ed and Lorraine, but then they have these amazing, epic scares and it takes you on a ride” .
Smith mentioned a scary moment from the first film that stayed with him.
“Yeah, absolutely. I mean, especially the clap in the first one. Thatโs a classic. I mean, yeah, definitely. Whenever Iโm in my house alone and hear something, itโs like, oh, no, theyโve come” .
Both young actors were excited to join the project. They were curious about how the movie magic creates the scary moments. Lawlor called it a “peek behind the curtain” .
The Future of The Conjuring Universe
Even though The Conjuring: Last Rites is called the final chapter, there might be more stories to tell. A studio executive called this movie the end of “phase one.” This means there could be more movies later. But Wilson and Farmiga approached this film as their last one.
Patrick Wilson said he did not know about any future plans.
“I have no idea. Itโs so hard. I cannot realistically separate me and Vera from The Conjuring, so I have no idea what that means. If they went off and did The Conjuring movie without us, I donโt even know what to say to that!” .
Vera Farmiga had a clear idea.
“Name it something else. Absolutely. As far as we know, we hung up the rosaries. The crucifix is back on the wall, and thatโs it. Our flashlights have run out of battery” .
Other cast members are open to returning. Mia Tomlinson said she would love to come back. Madison Lawlor and Orion Smith liked the idea of a prequel movie. It could show the Warrens when they were younger and less experienced .
Box Office Expectations
The movie is predicted to have a strong opening when it releases. Early tracking suggests it could make between $35 million and $40 million in its first weekend in the United States. This would be a good result for a horror movie in September. The Conjuring movies have been very successful overall. They have made more than $2 billion at the global box office .
The Conjuring: Last Rites will be in theaters on September 5, 2025.
