The Conjuring 4 May Be the Last Entry in James Wan’s Horror Series

The Conjuring 4 is in the works, but this next movie may be the last for James Wan’s horror series about the alleged demon-hunting power couple Ed and Lorraine Warren.

In an interview with Collider about his upcoming horror movie, M3GAN, The Conjuring director James Wan dropped a few hints about the creative team’s plans for the haunted Warren universe. When asked about his upcoming work in The Conjuring 4 and what would come after, the director kept things vague.

“Yeah, we are working on it right now. With the Conjuring films, we are very precious about [them],” Wan said. “And so we kind of want to just take our time to make sure we get it right and to make sure the emotion of the Warren stories that we want to tell, and moving into, and potentially wrapping up, we just want to make sure that it’s the right thing, the right story that we’re telling.”

When pressed for confirmation that The Conjuring 4 would be the last entry, Wan said, “We never know. You never know. We’ll see.”

After eight films (and two more on the way), perhaps a mention of wrapping things up is no surprise to fans of The Conjuring series. However, Wan didn’t fully commit to confirming the series’ end while speaking to Collider, leaving the door open just enough for the possibility of another paranormal encounter after The Conjuring 4.

As for other Warren-related works, the third movie, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, debuted in the number-one spot at the box office during its opening weekend last summer. While not directed by Wan, he still contributed to the third film’s story and served as producer. The Nun 2, another frightful tale in the same series, is expected to debut later this year.

If you’re interested in diving into The Conjuring’s twisted universe, IGN has quite a few handy guides for getting started. Make sure to check out our explainer on who the real Ed and Lorraine Warren were, plus a breakdown of how the creepy doll, Annabelle, ties into the big picture.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.