After establishing itself as one of the most recognizable names in the horror genre, it was reported that The Conjuring franchise has grossed over $2 billion in global ticket sales. The Conjuring was released in 2013, and quickly became one of the most widely-praised supernatural horror flicks in recent history. Since then, the Conjuring Universe has grown to include a total of seven movies, the most recent of which being 2021's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
The Conjuring Universe follows the stories of real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. Their haunting tales of ghost hunts and demonic possessions have been translated to other popular horror movies such as The Haunting in Connecticut and The Amityville Horror. In the Conjuring films, the couple is portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have starred in five out of seven installments. Director James Wan and producer Peter Safran saw massive success after the first title earned $320.2 million worldwide, and another $321.6 million from its 2016 sequel, The Conjuring 2.
In a report from Deadline, it was revealed that the entire Conjuring franchise has now earned $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales. The news comes after The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It performed relatively well at the box office, grossing more than $196 million. It debuted in early June in theaters and on HBO Max, earning $24.1 million domestically over its opening weekend alone. Warner Bros. Pictures Group Chairman, Toby Emmerich's full quote can be read below:
“Our thanks to James, Peter, all the casts and crews and Walter, Richard, Carolyn, Dave and the team at New Line—you’ve delivered one of the scariest and most artfully crafted horror franchises in history. These phenomenal results showcase the support of audiences and genre fans from all over the world and we congratulate you on your incredible success.”
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was a welcome return to theaters for horror junkies and fans of the paranormal. Following the true case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who was placed on trial for murder in 1981, the film sees Ed and Lorraine scrambling to clear Arne's name. They believed Arne to be innocent by means of demonic possession, and believed that a dark entity entered Arne's body after the Warrens performed an exorcism the month prior. After he allegedly saw supernatural visions, Arne murdered his landlord, Bruno Sauls, by stabbing him 22 times. Arne was convicted of manslaughter, but ended up serving only five years of his 10-20 year sentence. It was the first known court case in the country where innocence was proven based on the defendant's claim of demonic possession. Mixed with some classic jump scares and other horror schemes typical of the Conjuring movies, it made for a solid ( and spooky) addition to the franchise.
The third installment was initially slotted to release in September 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic. Compared to Conjuring Universe spin-offs like Annabelle (which grossed $257.7 million) and The Nun ($366.1 million), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It failed to perform nearly as well at the global box office due to the pandemic. However, the franchise passing $2 billion worldwide is a sign that the movie industry is slowly, but steadily returning to a 2019 normal. The Conjuring 4 is likely coming in the future, with the producers, writers, and cast of the previous films claiming they'd be happy to come back. For now, fans of the Warren's terrifying tales will have to wait for any upcoming project to get the green light first. But hopefully, audiences will be able to watch whatever ghoulish adventure comes next for The Conjuring franchise where it belongs: on the big screen.
Source: Deadline