The Conjuring: First Communion set for theaters after last film’s massive success

Just months after The Conjuring was believed to have reached its final chapter, Warner Bros. has quietly confirmed that the franchise is far from finished. A new prequel, The Conjuring: First Communion, is officially in development and heading to theaters next year, riding the momentum of a box office run that pushed the series to record-breaking heights.

Following the massive success of The Conjuring: Last Rites, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have confirmed that a new film set in the same universe is officially on the way. The upcoming project, titled The Conjuring: First Communion, is a prequel and is locked in for a theatrical release on September 10, 2027.

The timing is interesting. Last Rites was positioned as the emotional and narrative endpoint for Ed and Lorraine Warren, portrayed for years by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

That film didn’t just perform well, it became the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, pulling in nearly half a billion dollars worldwide on a relatively modest budget. It also placed itself among the top three highest-grossing horror films of all time, a rare feat for a genre that usually relies on smaller returns.

At the time, director Michael Chaves made it clear that Last Rites was meant to close the book on the Warrens’ story. The messaging was firm. The title wasn’t symbolic. It was meant to be final. And yet, Hollywood has a long history of finding new chapters once audiences keep showing up.

That’s where First Communion comes in.

Details about The Conjuring’s prequel are being kept tightly under wraps, but the title alone hints at a much earlier chapter in the Conjuring timeline. The previous film briefly featured younger versions of Ed and Lorraine, which may now serve as the doorway into this new story.

Whether Wilson and Farmiga return in any capacity remains unclear, though the focus appears to be on the early days of the paranormal investigators rather than their later, well-documented cases.

What is clear is that the studio isn’t ready to let go of a franchise that’s been a reliable box office force for more than a decade. Since the original The Conjuring debuted over 12 years ago, the universe has expanded into one of horror’s most recognizable brands, blending supernatural scares with real-world mythology in a way few franchises have managed to sustain.

Calling this next film a “surprise” would be generous. Success at this scale almost always leads to continuation, even when endings are promised. Still, framing First Communion as a prequel allows the franchise to move forward without undoing the emotional weight of Last Rites. It’s a careful balance, respecting the finale while keeping the door cracked open for more.

For fans, it means the Conjuring universe isn’t finished haunting theaters just yet. It’s simply going back to where it all began.