Fans of the ever-growing Conjuring cinematic universe have long waited for the next main entry in the wildly popular horror series. Just in time for the most important holiday of the year, we have our official first look at the third Conjuring film titled The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. The upcoming film, which was originally meant to release on September 11th this year, will tell the story of one of the most sensationalized stories in Ed & Lorraine Warren’s files.
“The Devil Made Me Do It” case is the infamous trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, which marked the first time in U.S. history that the defense tried to prove innocence in a murder case by claiming demonic possession. By the way, if you haven’t heard about this story until just now, I highly recommend checking out a podcast that has covered it—it’s absolutely worth your time.
Following the huge success of, well, everything under the Conjuring-verse banner, the third installment looks to change the game and move away from the haunted house formula. A welcome change, given the wide array of Warren stories they have in their arsenal. While the series itself is becoming quite polarizing, the one thing I particularly love from the main story films is the insanely creepy side stories like Annabelle and the Crooked Man—both of whom who have spawned everything from spooky fan art and merchandise to a spin-off movie series and countless more inspired by the two modern-day horror icons. Basically, The Conjuring has some serious influence on the horror genre.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will return to play Ed and Lorraine Warren. However, James Wan won’t be returning to direct as he passes the reins over to Michael Chaves (La Llorona), a move the director called “bittersweet.” As is usually the case with these huge franchises, a fresh perspective is always welcome and can take a series to new heights. I’m definitely excited to see what supernatural entity goes to battle against the Warrens. This first look has only made me more excited.
Be sure to check back with us here at Horror Obsessive for a review of the film when it finally releases!