New Line's sequel to the 2018 hit horror film The Nun, The Nun 2, has brought Luke Cage scribe Akela Cooper on board to pen the script. The most recent installment in the Conjuring shared movie universe, The Nun grossed $365 million at the global box office, making it the biggest money maker of all the Conjuring franchise films. Plans for The Nun 2 were first confirmed by producer Peter Safran earlier in April.
Based on the exploits of real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the original Conjuring was a big hit for director James Wan and further proof of the power of supernatural horror at the box office. A Conjuring sequel would follow, with a third film now on its way, as well as a pair of Annabelle spin-off movies built around a creepy doll introduced in the first Conjuring. The universe will further expand in 2019 with Annabelle Comes Home as well as The Curse of La Llorona. Overall, the Conjuring franchise has taken in $1.5 billion at the global box office.
With The Nun 2 now headed into production, New Line has reportedly pegged Akela Cooper to pen the script (via Deadline). Producer Safran previously referred to the "really fun" storyline that has been conjured up for the Nun sequel, and now Cooper will be tasked with fleshing out that storyline for the big screen.
A writer and producer, Cooper previously penned four episodes of the Netflix series Luke Cage, and also worked on Grimm and The 100. Her credits in the horror genre also include Chapter 5 of American Horror Story: Roanoke, an episode many consider to be among the best in the series, as well as the '80s-inspired slasher film Hell Fest. Cooper is also an executive producer on the upcoming Netflix horror series Chambers, starring Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn.
Cooper being tapped to pen The Nun 2 breaks a noticeable trend in the Conjuring universe films, as she is the first female screenwriter to hop aboard the franchise. Wan has of course been the main creative force behind the films, with Gary Dauberman also playing a big role as writer of all the Annabelle movies as well as The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona. It remains to be seen what new perspective Cooper will bring to The Nun 2, but her hiring at least appears to signal a desire by producers to bring a decidedly more female point-of-view to the horror universe, which certainly seems to make sense for a series that features a supernatural nun as one of its central figures.
Source: Deadline
