The films present a dramatization of the supposed real-life adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting.

The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves harassed by spirits, while the spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered.

The second entry focused on the controversial case of the Enfield poltergeist while briefly referring to the events that inspired The Amityville Horror.

A sequel to the two films and the third entry in the main series, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, was released on June 4, 2021, and revolves around the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, a murder that took place in 1981 in Connecticut.

[1][2][3][4] The franchise also includes Annabelle (2014), a prequel directed by The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Peter Safran and Wan, which revealed the events of the doll of the same name before the Warrens came into contact with it at the start of the first film.

Producer Wan has likened the story to Night at the Museum, where Annabelle activates the haunted objects in the Warrens' artifact room.

A sequel, The Nun II, was released on September 8, 2023, with Michael Chaves directing and Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper serving as writers for the film.

[6][7][8] Wan stated that they sought accuracy to real life in making the main films, while the spin-offs allowed them to "just explore different sub-genres in the horror genre".

[9] The first two Conjuring films were met with generally positive reviews by both critics and horror fans, earning praise for Wan's directing and main cast performances, particularly Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's on-screen chemistry as Ed and Lorraine.

The third entry received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Wilson and Farmiga but noted it as weaker than the previous Conjuring installments.

[14] DeRosa-Grund allied with producer Peter Safran, and sibling writers Chad and Carey W. Hayes were brought on board to refine the script.

The plot focused on John and Mia Form, a married couple expecting a child, whose vintage doll, Annabelle, becomes possessed by a vengeful spirit after two devil worshippers break into their home and are killed.

[41] The plot of the film follows a priest and a novitiate as they investigate an unholy secret and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun (Valak).

Wilson and Farmiga reprised their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, with the plot revolving around the real-life "Devil Made Me Do It" case, a legal trial where the defendant claimed to have been possessed during the crimes of which he is accused.

Storm Reid had joined the cast in a lead role for the film, principal photography began on October 6, 2022, and concluded later that year.

Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet are reprising their roles as Sister Irene and Maurice "Frenchie" Theriault, with Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose Downey joining the cast.

[84] In June 2017, producer Peter Safran stated that while the studio will not incorporate characters from other standalone original works, there are various projects in development.

[90] In June 2021, after the release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Michael Chaves revealed that the movie was originally intended to directly tie into the next spin-off film.

Though the full character reveal was removed from the final cut, as well as a subplot where Isla the occultist was working with the demon, the filmmaker noted that it is the same entity that torments David in the waterbed and ultimately enters his body.

[98] He later stated that while The Crooked Man was intended to be the next movie following The Conjuring 2, the project had been delayed in favor of fast-tracking production on The Nun due to the audience response to the character.

[87][88] In November 2022, Wan announced that, outside of his control, the project was not moving forward at that time while expressing hope for a potential future release.

[99][100] In May 2015, John R. Leonetti, was announced as the director of Wolves at the Door for New Line Cinema, with Gary Dauberman as screenwriter and Peter Safran as producer.

[101] In October 2017, Wan served as a producer of a horror film directed by Michael Chaves and starring Linda Cardellini, which was then titled The Children.

[105] The character gives direction to the family being tormented by the titular spirit, and relates the haunting to his experiences with the demonic entity attached to the doll.

The producer stated that while they did not want to take away from the film installments, there were "some more long-form stories that would be better told over eight episodes or eight hours as opposed to just a two-hour movie".

Safran acknowledged that an expansion of the franchise into television shows has been in discussion for some time, with the launch of HBO Max providing Warner Bros. Entertainment with a distributor for any potential series.

The show would take place chronologically after the events of the films, with James Wan and Peter Safran serving as executive producers.

The limited series is co-written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Rex Ogle, with artwork by Garry Brown and cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz.

[144][145] Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, previous owners of the house on which The Conjuring was based, have sued Wan, Warner Bros. and other producers in 2015 because their property was being constantly vandalized as a consequence of the film.

Entertainment Weekly obtained documents in which the owners affirm various invasions and ratify that they have found numerous objects affiliated with satanic cults.