With two chapters already under his belt in the series, The Nun II director Michael Chaves has opened up about the pressures in expanding The Conjuring Universe. First launched by James Wan with the 2013 namesake horror hit, the franchise has become one of the most profitable not only for the horror genre, but Hollywood in general, having amassed a combined $2.1 billion against its combined $178 million budget. The Nun II acts as the second chronological chapter in The Conjuring Universe, exploring Bonnie Aarons’ eponymous demon as it embarks on a series of murders across Europe in search of a powerful artifact.
In honor of the movie’s release, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Chaves to discuss The Nun II. When asked about his approach to his various Conjuring Universe installments, the director explained that he has treated them all as “their own person” and that he actually loves the pressure from fans to tie them all together. Check out what Chaves explained below:
It’s interesting. Whenever someone says, “All three of your movies are in the Conjuring-verse,” it’s easy to think that it’s a kind of rinse and repeat, but making movies is like raising kids. Each one has their own personality, and they become their own person, and that’s so true with movies. They just naturally do that. I’m such a fan of this series, and I’m such a fan of the universe that I actually like those connections. I like feeling that this really is part of a bigger story, and I like feeling the weight of that. It actually feels like something that is both building off of something and then building to something, so I always love having those little connections. So even though they do become their own movies — and I think that they are just naturally — I’m usually the one who’s trying to bring those connections back in.
How Chaves Has Succeeded Wan In The Conjuring Universe
Though Wan’s name remains synonymous with the horror franchise, The Conjuring Universe has actually acted as a launchpad for many up-and-coming directors to make a name for themselves in the genre. Annabelle: Creation saw Wan bring in David F. Sandberg, whose feature debut Lights Out he had produced, and put the subfranchise on a positively received track after its poorly received predecessor. Its follow-up, Annabelle Comes Home, further acted as the directorial debut for screenwriter Gary Dauberman, who was already a veritable figure in horror having penned the prior two installments and writing Andy Muschietti’s IT adaptations.
While Sandberg has gone on to helm both Shazam! movies and Dauberman is awaiting the release of his Salem’s Lot adaptation, Chaves remains one of the more unique figures in The Conjuring Universe. Not only did he succeed Wan by directing The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, but he also holds the record for directing the most installments in the franchise, with The Nun II technically marking his third after his feature debut, The Curse of La Llorona. Chaves has frequently stated it’s not part of the horror franchise, but the inclusion of Tony Amendola’s Father Perez and flashback to his time in the first Annabelle movie ultimately puts it square in the universe.
Chaves’ work on The Nun II has even scored better reviews than its 2018 predecessor, even if still falling shy of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It‘s 55% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. While his outings may mark some of the lowest in The Conjuring Universe, audiences have remained favorable in their feelings for his projects, with The Conjuring threequel currently sitting at a franchise-high 83% and The Nun II netting a 78%. With The Conjuring: Last Rites currently in development and Chaves teasing his knowledge of what’s planned for the potential final mainline movie, it will be interesting to see if he continues his succession of Wan to close out the Warrens’ story, or if the genre vet returns for one final go.
