Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren from the first film.

In July 2013, before the release of the first film, it was reported that New Line Cinema was already developing a sequel with both Farmiga and Wilson signed on to reprise their roles.

One year later, the Hodgson family begins to experience strange occurrences in their home in the London borough of Enfield after Janet, the second-oldest of four children, plays with a ouija board.

When the media attempts to interview the family, Janet is possessed by the elderly man, Bill Wilkins, who previously lived and died in the house.

While staying at the Hodgson residence, Ed and Lorraine consult other paranormal investigators, including Maurice Grosse and Anita Gregory, on the legitimacy of the case.

However, they discover that the spirit of Wilkins is only a pawn being manipulated by the true demon, the nun, who is seeking to break Janet's will.

The couple quickly returns to the Hodgson residence and find Janet possessed, standing at the window, ready to commit suicide.

After returning home, Ed adds an item to his and Lorraine's collection – a haunted "Crooked Man" zoetrope toy owned by Peggy's youngest child – placing it beside April Perron's music box and the Annabelle doll.

[13] Speaking to his decision to return for the sequel, Wan stated: I've been working very heavily on the script, and the idea of continuing the saga of Ed and Lorraine Warren is actually very exciting.

[14]In early July 2015, lead actors Farmiga and Wilson visited Lorraine Warren at the New England Paranormal Research Center in Connecticut in preparation for their roles.

[18] In September 2015, Frances O'Connor, Simon McBurney, newcomer Lauren Esposito, and Madison Wolfe joined the cast.

[19][20][21][22] Franka Potente, Simon Delaney, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and newcomers Patrick McAuley and Benjamin Haigh were also reported to have been cast in late September 2015.

[27][28] Production moved to London on November 18, 2015, with filming taking place in and around The Warrington, a pub in the residential district of Maida Vale.

[34] Wan felt the design did not fit and instead opted to change the demon to a nun, with Bonnie Aarons cast in the role, to make the film more grounded.

[36][37] Bishara, a recurring collaborator of director James Wan, composed the score after having previously written the music for The Conjuring and the Insidious film series.

[38] Lead actor Patrick Wilson performs Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" on a guitar in the film, while songs such as the Clash's "London Calling", the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke" and the traditional nursery rhymes "This Old Man" and "There Was a Crooked Man" are also featured.

[42] The Conjuring 2 had its red carpet world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 7, 2016, as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival's program, three days prior to its wide release.

[63] It played well in Latin America and performed exceptionally well in other Catholic countries due to its spiritual themes while it also did well in the UK, where the film is set.

[66] It recorded the biggest opening day of all time for a horror film in 24 markets, including Mexico ($1.6 million), Brazil ($735,000), Australia ($401,000), and all of Latin America.

The website's consensus reads: "The Conjuring 2 can't help but lose a bit of its predecessor's chilly sting through familiarity, but what remains is still a superior ghost story told with spine-tingling skill.

"[72] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

[74] In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, Sheri Linden praised the film, saying, "Three years after The Conjuring rattled the multiplex with old-school horror, director James Wan ups the ante with an excellent sequel.

"[76] TheWrap's Alonso Duralde gave the film a positive review, stating, "Frightening rarely strikes twice in the same place, despite the efforts of so many horror sequels, but even if The Conjuring 2 doesn't deliver the delightful jolts of its predecessor, it maintains a consistent chill throughout, with a slow and steady dread that creeps up on you over time.

[91] In June 2017, it was announced a third installment was in development, with The Conjuring 2 co-writer David Leslie Johnson hired to write the screenplay.

[99][100] Bonnie Aarons reprised her role as Valak in the film,[101] and Charlotte Hope, Jonas Bloquet, and Ingrid Bisu co-starred.

[107] In November 2022, Wan announced that, outside of his control, the Crooked Man project would not be moving forward at that time while expressing hope for a potential future release.