The next film in The Conjuring universe, The Nun 2, has found its director. The Conjuring series has been incredibly lucrative for Warner Bros. ever since The Conjuring hit theaters in 2013. While the franchise has given audiences two mainline Conjuring sequels, there have been a handful of spinoffs, such as Annabelle and The Nun. The Nun didn't do exceptionally well with fans or critics but somehow became the highest-grossing film in The Conjuring universe.
The first word of The Nun 2 happening came back in April 2019 when producer Peter Safran said a sequel was inevitable and that they were working on a "really fun" story. There haven't been many updates on The Nun 2 as Warner Bros. had been more focused on other films in the franchise, such as last year's The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Malignant writer Akela Cooper is penning the script, and it's unknown if Tessa Farmiga or other cast members are returning. Just recently, The Nun 2 was officially confirmed as the next Conjuring film after footage premiered in Warner Bros. sizzle reel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
The Nun 2 has reached another big milestone as it has found its director. Bloody Disgusting reports, and Screen Rant has confirmed, that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have hired The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring 3 director Michael Chaves to helm The Nun 2. However, no other updates were given about the project in the report.
The Conjuring universe has been a financial success for Warner Bros. and New Line, but the series has struggled with critics in recent years. The last two spinoff films, The Nun and Annabelle Comes Home were not well received, and even The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It ended up being the worst-reviewed film of the three mainline movies. The demonic nun Valek, which debuted in The Conjuring 2, is an interesting character, and The Nun certainly left the door open for a sequel. But with the critical response of The Nun, it seems unnecessary to continue the storyline. After all, there are several other spinoffs Warner Bros. could focus on, such as The Crooked Man, which has been stuck in development limbo since 2017.
With all that in mind, The Nun 2 does have the opportunity to put the franchise back on track. Even though The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring 3 were not well received, the director has a better grasp of the franchise than somebody else who has never worked on a horror film. It's unknown why Corin Hardy, the director of The Nun, isn't returning for the sequel, but it's likely Warner Bros. and New Line decided to go with somebody else after the first movie's poor reception. With the first footage recently being shown at CinemaCon and The Nun 2 now having a director, more news about the sequel should be coming soon.
Source: Bloody Disgusting