James Wan Opens Up About Saying Goodbye to Ed and Lorraine in ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’

As the spooky season creeps closer, fans of The Conjuring universe are bracing themselves—not just for the scares, but for an emotional farewell. With The Conjuring: Last Rites set to hit theaters on September 4, 2025, producer and franchise creator James Wan is getting candid about what it meant to bring this decade-long horror saga to a close.

And according to Wan, it was never just about the ghosts.

“The Most Important Thing”: Saying Goodbye the Right Way

During a virtual press day for the upcoming film, Wan revealed that crafting a proper ending for the beloved paranormal franchise wasn’t just about building suspense or pulling from real-life Warren cases—it was about delivering a satisfying emotional goodbye to Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

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“We felt the most important thing was to be able to say farewell to the cinematic Ed and Lorraine in a way that felt emotional,” Wan said. “I always say people come to the Conjuring films for the scares, but they really stick around for Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, right?”

For Wan, the heart of the series has always been the bond between the Warrens, not just the jump scares. And that emotional center became the guiding mission while making Last Rites.

Sticking the Landing: No Tweaks Needed

That mission was so clear, in fact, that the film’s ending was locked in early—and never changed. Director Michael Chaves, who also helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, explained just how rare that is in Hollywood.

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“David Leslie Johnson wrote a great script,” Chaves said, referencing the screenwriter of the last two Conjuring films. “Usually, when developing a movie, you tweak so much of the script. But the ending? We didn’t touch a word. And that speaks to just how powerful that writing was.”

According to Chaves, everyone involved knew they were creating something more than just a franchise finale. They were closing the book on a pair of characters that had become icons in modern horror.

Why Fans Are So Invested

Since The Conjuring first hit screens in 2013, it’s been a box office juggernaut. But what’s kept fans coming back isn’t just the demonic dolls (Annabelle), vengeful nuns (The Nun), or haunted artifacts. It’s the genuine warmth, humanity, and chemistry between Wilson and Farmiga as the Warrens.

Their portrayal of Ed and Lorraine has anchored the sprawling universe through eight films, elevating the series beyond typical horror fare.

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“There are plenty of scary movies,” Wan noted, “but people have stayed with us because of what Patrick and Vera brought to these characters.”

A Real Ending for a Real-Life Legacy

Though The Conjuring movies are inspired by real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, Last Rites marks the cinematic farewell for the fictional versions of these characters. While no plot details have been revealed yet, both Wan and Chaves suggest that fans should prepare for something emotionally rich, uplifting, and true to the series’ core values.

Wan emphasized that wrapping up the story was less about shocking audiences and more about doing justice to the couple that made it all work.

What’s Next?

With the film set to kick off Spooky Season 2025, fans can expect plenty of chills—but also, probably, a few tears. Whether or not Last Rites ties into other spinoffs like The Nun or Annabelle remains to be seen. But for the mainline Conjuring storyline, this looks like the curtain call.

James Wan launched the franchise over a decade ago, and now, with one final exorcism of emotion and horror, he’s helping bring it to a close in a way only he could.

“It was about wrapping up this series in a way that felt emotional, but one that also felt uplifting,” he said.

And for fans who’ve been with Ed and Lorraine Warren since day one, it sounds like The Conjuring: Last Rites might be the sendoff they truly deserve.