Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, the film stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velásquez, and follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from a malevolent spirit trying to steal them.

[4][5] The film was produced by James Wan through his Atomic Monster banner and, though not considered an installment in the franchise, takes place within The Conjuring Universe.

The Curse of La Llorona premiered at South by Southwest on March 15, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 19, 2019.

In 1673 Mexico, a family plays in a field, and the youngest son gives his mother a necklace, who says she will treasure the item forever.

300 years later, in 1973 Los Angeles, caseworker Anna investigates the truancy of client Patricia Alvarez's two children.

Anna seeks help from Father Perez, who relates the case to his previous experiences with a haunted porcelain doll.

This makes La Llorona briefly assume her human appearance and caress Chris, imagining him to be her real son.

In October 2017, New Line Cinema announced to distribute a horror film directed by Michael Chaves, with James Wan and It and Annabelle writer Gary Dauberman serving as producers.

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.

[13] The Curse of La Llorona was theatrically released in the United States and several other territories on April 19, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

[18] In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Under the Silver Lake and was projected to gross $15–17 million from 3,372 theaters in its opening weekend.

The website's consensus reads: "Content to coast on jump scares rather than tap into its story's creepy potential, The Curse of La Llorona arrives in theaters already broken.