A complete franchise recap before watching The Conjuring: Last Rites

Few horror sagas have made an impact like The Conjuring universe has, and now, the story nears its climax with The Conjuring: Last Rites. The upcoming horror film will arrive in theaters on September 25, 2025, in the United States, serving as the grand finale of the Warrens’ saga. But to fully appreciate what’s coming, viewers need to revisit the twisted path that led here.

The Conjuring universe timeline recap

The franchise has released seven main films so far. They do not follow a release order that matches the events, but the timeline of the universe is clear. It begins in the 1950s and follows a path of hauntings and possessions that link together.

The Nun (1952)

The story begins in Romania after the death of Sister Victoria. Father Burke and Sister Irene are sent by the Vatican to investigate. They discover that the monastery is not sacred ground but a prison for Valak, the demon nun. Valak feeds on fear and uses visions to confuse the investigators. With the help of a villager, they confront the demon in the catacombs. Irene uses the blood of Christ to force Valak back, but the victory is not complete. The demon attaches itself to the villager and escapes the monastery. This act ensures that Valak will continue to influence events for years to come.

Annabelle: Creation (1955)

In the United States, Samuel and Esther Mullins mourn the loss of their daughter. They unknowingly allow a demon into their home, which takes hold of a doll. Years later, they open the house to orphan girls and Sister Charlotte. Among them is Janice, who becomes the focus of the spirit’s attack. Janice finds the locked room where the doll is kept and sets the evil free. The house soon becomes a place of terror. The demon eventually takes Janice as a host. She later escapes the orphanage and grows up as Annabelle Higgins.

Annabelle (1967)

The story moves forward to John and Mia Form, a couple expecting a child. John gives Mia the Annabelle doll without knowing its past. Soon after, their neighbors are killed by their daughter Annabelle Higgins and her partner. During the attack, Annabelle dies while holding the doll. This act binds the demon to it once again. The couple suffers violent hauntings as the spirit targets their newborn baby. With help from Father Perez and their friend Evelyn, they fight to stop the entity. Evelyn sacrifices herself, ending the attack. Yet the doll survives and passes into the hands of a student nurse, setting up its next chapter.

The Conjuring (1971)

Ed and Lorraine Warren make their first major appearance here. They investigate the Perron family’s farmhouse in Rhode Island. Strange events torment Carolyn and Roger Perron and their daughters. The Warrens discover that a witch once cursed the land. Her spirit now seeks to take Carolyn’s body to claim the children. The Warrens act quickly and perform an exorcism. Guided by Lorraine’s visions, they defeat the spirit and save the family. This case also hints at the larger universe when Maurice, the farmhand from The Nun, is shown still under Valak’s influence.

Annabelle Comes Home (1972)

The Warrens have locked Annabelle in their occult museum, but danger returns when their babysitter’s friend enters the room. Daniela wishes to contact her late father and unknowingly sets Annabelle free. The doll stirs other cursed objects in the house. Judy Warren, the babysitter, and Daniela must face many supernatural threats in one night. They realize that only locking Annabelle back in her case will stop the chaos. The event shows that Annabelle is not only a vessel but also a magnet for other evil forces.

The Conjuring 2 (1977)

The Warrens travel to London to help the Hodgson family. Their daughter, Janet, shows signs of possession by the ghost of Bill Wilkins. But the truth is darker. Valak manipulates the haunting to gain control of Janet. The battle pushes Ed to the brink of death. Lorraine uses Valak’s true name to strip away its power. The demon is forced back into Hell, but the danger of its return remains.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (1981)

The third Conjuring movie adapts one of the most notorious real-life cases in paranormal history. In Connecticut, young David Glatzel undergoes an exorcism, during which the demon transfers into Arne Cheyenne Johnson, his sister’s boyfriend. Soon after, Arne murders his landlord in a violent frenzy.  Facing trial, the Warrens argue demonic possession as a defense, the first time such a claim is used in U.S. legal history. Their investigation leads to the discovery of a satanic curse cast by an Occultist linked to the Disciples of the Ram cult. Ultimately, the couple breaks the curse and saves Arne.

Everything we know so far about The Conjuring: Last Rites

The upcoming horror film The Conjuring: Last Rites, directed by Michael Chaves, explores the notorious Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania, where a family endured over a decade of unrelenting terror — from foul smells and violent attacks to dark apparitions scratching messages on mirrors. This case represents not just another haunting but one of the Warrens’ most grueling and personal investigations.

The cast for the final film will see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine. New cast additions include Mia Tomlinson as Judy Warren and Ben Hardy as Tony Spera. Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, and Shannon Kook are a few of the other notable cast members. The script is being shaped by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick in collaboration with James Wan.

The Conjuring: Last Rites offers a climactic chapter that promises to close the book on horror cinema’s most famous ghost hunters.