The Conjuring 4: The Last Rites (2025)

Release & Legacy

• Release Date: September 5, 2025

• This film serves as the culmination of the first phase of the Conjuring Universe, bringing closure to the saga of Ed and Lorraine Warren. 

• It will premiere exclusively in theaters before streaming on Max later

Creative Team & Return Cast

• Director: Michael Chaves, marking his fourth Conjuring Universe film

• Producers: James Wan and Peter Safran continue their partnership on the franchise

• Returning Leads:

  • Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren

  • Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren

  • The final appearance for these actors in the series, which began in 2013

The Plot: Smurl Haunting

• Case Source: Based on the infamous 1980s Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania

• Story Notes:

  • Set in 1986, about five years after the events of The Devil Made Me Do It

  • Ed and Lorraine had largely retired but are compelled back into the field for their final case

New & Legacy Characters

• Judy Warren: Played by Mia Tomlinson, she becomes central to the unfolding events

• Tony Spera: Ben Hardy plays Judy’s partner, introducing dynamic new family stakes

• Supporting roles include Jan and Jack Smurl, played by Rebecca Calder and Elliot Cowan discover haunting horrors within their household

• Returning character Father Gordon (Steve Coulter) appears once again

Tone & Scares

• Touted as the darkest and most intense Conjuring film yet

• The central demon has a personal vendetta—raising the tension to new emotional and supernatural heights

• Annabelle doll cameo: Director Chaves insisted on including the franchise icon, emphasizing its symbolic importance

 Production Features

• Filming: Took place September–October 2024 in London, wrapping in November

• Style: Emphasis on practical effects, gothic architecture, shadow-heavy cinematography, and immersive terror over CGI reliance

 Franchise Continuation

• Officially labeled as the final Conjuring film of Phase One

• While wrapping Ed and Lorraine’s journey, Warner Bros. signals future expansions in the universe—possibly via spin-offs or a streaming series about other Warrens cases

 Final Thoughts

The Conjuring: Last Rites promises a haunting finale: a deeply personal case, emotional closure for beloved characters, and one last step into the terrifying unknown. If you’ve followed the Warrens since The Conjuring (2013), this installment looks primed to deliver both catharsis and scares on a grand scale.