The Conjuring Universe Release Order Overview
The Conjuring Universe is a series of horror films produced by New Line Cinema and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, based on the real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren. The mainline films center on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, while spin-offs expand the shared universe with prequels and standalone stories. The franchise has earned over $2 billion worldwide at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing horror series in cinema history Forbes.
The films are typically watched in chronological release order, which follows the timeline of when each movie premiered in theaters. This approach lets viewers experience the franchise as it expanded, from the original 2013 film to the latest spin-off releases. The release order highlights how the universe grew from a single film into a multi-franchise ecosystem spanning multiple timelines and characters.
Main Conjuring Films in Release Order
The first film, The Conjuring, was released in 2013 and directed by James Wan. It is based on the Perron family haunting and became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $319 million worldwide. The film established the tone, style, and narrative framework for the entire universe, introducing audiences to the Warrens' methodology and the supernatural threats they face SEC Filings.
The second mainline film, The Conjuring 2, followed in 2016 and is set in London during the Enfield Poltergeist case. Directed again by James Wan, it grossed over $320 million worldwide and introduced the character of the Crooked Man as a central antagonist. The film solidified the franchise's global appeal and demonstrated the commercial viability of expanding the Warrens' story into international cases.
Annabelle Spin-Off Series
The first spin-off, Annabelle: Creation, released in 2017, serves as a prequel to the possessed doll introduced in the first Conjuring film. Directed by David F. Sandberg, it explores the origin of the haunted doll and the tragic events that led to its curse. The film grossed over $306 million worldwide and spawned a sequel, Annabelle Comes Home, released in 2019, which follows the doll's continued reign of terror in the Warrens' artifact room.
Additional Entries and Future Projects
The Nun, released in 2018, is the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, earning over $365 million worldwide. Directed by Corin Hardy, it focuses on the origins of the demonic entity Valak, first glimpsed in The Conjuring 2. A prequel, The Nun II, was released in 2023 and continues the story of Sister Irene confronting Valak in post-war France.
The franchise also includes The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, released in 2021, which marks a departure from the Warrens' classic cases by focusing on a murder trial involving demonic possession. Directed by Michael Chaves, the film grossed over $206 million worldwide. Future projects in the Conjuring Universe are in development at New Line Cinema, with James Wan and Peter Safran continuing