You'd think that having two hugely successful horror franchises under his belt would be enough for director James Wan. Saw and Insidious (both co-created with writer Leigh Whannell). But then he also went on to create The Conjuring, which has produced a total of nine films since its debut in 2013 and grossed more than $2 billion at the box office.
Starting out as a 1970s ghost story series based on the real-life investigations of married paranormal spies Lorraine and Ed Warren. The Nemesis Universe has become a franchise which not only tracks the Warrens' demon-fighting adventures, but also delves into the dark backstories of these cases with prequels set decades before the Warrens. Now that The fourth and final Conjuring film has airedyou might want to revisit the full Conjuring timeline.
So, do you want to watch these Conjuring films as they were released, or do you want to absorb all the creepiness through a chronological binge, starting with The Nun in 1950s Romania? Either way, you'll find both lists below.
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How many Conjuring films are there?
Eat only 10 films Set in the Conjuring universe – four Conjuring films, three Annabelle films, The Nun and the Nun 2 and The Curse of La Llorona. The fourth Conjuring movie, Last Rites, is now available in theaters. If you are planning marathon of all these filmscurrently you can broadcast most of them on HBO Max.
Spell films in chronological order
1. Nun (2018)
The prequel to The Nun is set in Romania in 1952. It stars Demian Bichir and Taissa Farmiga (sister of franchise star Vera Farmiga) as a Roman Catholic priest and nun who uncover an unholy secret connected to the evil nun Bonnie Aaron from The Conjuring 2.
Read our review of The Nun.
2. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Taking place after The Nun in California in 1955, Annabelle Creation was the fourth installment of The Conjuring Universe, but the second chronologically, depicting the origins of the franchise's famous star, Annabelle, a ghost doll haunted by creeps. It's the story of a puppeteer who opens his home to six orphans and a nun, only for an ancient evil to be unleashed in his own home.
Read our review of the film Annabelle: Creation.
3. The Nun 2 (2023)
Although The Nun 2 takes place after the events of The Nun, it is actually the third film in the timeline. The Nun 2 takes place in 1956, four years after Sister Irene's first encounter with Valak and one year after the events of Annabelle: Creation.
Read our review of The Nun 2.
4. Annabelle (2014)
The second film set in the Conjuring universe, before The Conjuring 2, was the prequel Annabelle, set in 1967 Southern California, 12 years after the doll's official origin. Annabelle tells the story of a young doctor and his wife who bring a doll into their home (to live among other scary-looking dolls) only for it to make their lives hell.
Read our review of Annabelle.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
The film that started it all, The Conjuring, starred Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as real-life paranormal investigators and ghost hunters Lorraine and Ed Warren (whose exploits reportedly inspired The Amityville Horror) helping the beleaguered Perron family in 1971 Rhode Island. Series creator James Wan directed this first film, which became his third official horror blockbuster.
Read our review of “The Conjuring”.
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6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Next up is Annabelle Comes Home. The events of this story take place just a year later, in 1972. The Warrens' young daughter, Judy (McKenna Grace), must battle Annabelle and other demons who escape from the Warrens' artifact room while the couple is away. Conspiracy Universe (and It: Chapters One and Two) screenwriter Gary Dauberman makes his debut here.
Read our Review of the film “Annabelle Comes Home”.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, this spin-off of The Conjuring Universe follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from an evil spirit trying to steal them. “The Curse of La Llorona,” starring Linda Cardellini and Raymond Cruz, is the most detached and removed story in the franchise's ongoing history, featuring only Perez's father Tony Amendola from “Annabelle” as a connecting character.
Read our Review of “The Curse of La Llorona”.
8. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Based on the events of the Enfield Poltergeist in England, The Conjuring 2 brings back Lorraine and Ed Warren, now infamous for the Amityville case, as they help a family haunted by an evil spirit in 1977. While the first Conjuring film led to the Annabelle films, this one initially introduced The Nun, which subsequently received its own prequel. James Wan also returned to direct.
Read our review of The Conjuring 2.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
In fact, the eighth film in the franchise is also the next movie you should watch if you're on a chronological binge. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do takes us back to the '80s with a ghoulish story based on the real-life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed “demonic possession” after murdering his landlord. Lorraine and Ed Warren are drawn into the case after they apparently exorcise a demon from the body of a young boy… accidentally causing him to escape to Arne.
Read our review of the film “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”.
10. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
The final film in the Conjuring timeline is in theaters and will be released soon. amazing start at the box office. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth main film in the series. last film in the franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who take on their most dangerous case yet. Like the other films in the series, Last Rites is based on the true story of the Smurl ghosts, a series of paranormal events in a house in Pennsylvania in the 70s and 80s.
Read our review of The Conjuring: Last Rites and check out our The Conjuring: Last Rites ending and post-credits explained.
The Future of Conjuring Movies
The Conjuring: Last Rites is officially out! digital and streaming. In the film there was second-biggest opening weekend for any horror film at the global box office, second only to the 2017 film It, and already has 4K Steelbook release. Veteran franchisee Michael Chavez returns as director for the finale, and IGN recently got the chance to talk to him about The end (and future) of The Conjuring franchise. Now we know what this includes new prequel about the Warrens' early investigative work.
In 2023 A series set in the Conjuring universe. has been greenlit for HBO Max, although little is known about who will be cast or how the series will fit into the franchise's schedule. We know the series is moving forward since it recently arrived. supernatural writer Nancy Vaughn as showrunner. Otherwise, this is a sequel to The Curse of La Llorona. presumably entered productiona sign of how the franchise will grow further.
Matt Fowler is a freelance entertainment writer/critic who has been covering television news, reviews, interviews and features at IGN for over 13 years.
