The hit sequel to The Conjuring has conjured a spinoff.
The lead villain of The Conjuring 2, a demonic nun who terrorizes real-life paranormal investigators and married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), will be the subject of a new film, titled The Nun.
James Wan, who directed the two Conjuring films, is on board as producer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The screenplay will be penned by Leslie Johnson, who co-wrote The Conjuring 2. No director has been announced as of yet.
The Nun marks the second spinoff from the popular horror franchise, following 2014’s Annabelle, which centered on the demonic doll from the first film. Like the two Conjuring films, Annabelle was a hit, grossing over $256m worldwide, on a budget of just $6.5m. A second Annabelle film is slated for release in 2017.
As the Hollywood Reporter notes, the nun almost didn’t make it into The Conjuring 2, as she was only added during last-minute reshoots to replace the original antagonist – a demonic figure with horns. Bonnie Aarons, under heavy makeup, played the nun. It’s not confirmed whether she will return for the character’s stand-alone film.
The Conjuring 2 recently opened to $40.4m over the weekend, marking the biggest opening for a horror film since the original opened with $41.9m in 2013. It was also the best-ever debut for a horror film in June.
