Wimple and wail: ‘The Conjuring 2’s demonic nun gets own movie

The hit sequel to The Conjuring has conjured a spin-off. The lead villain of The Conjuring 2, a demonic nun who terrorises real-life paranormal investigators and married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), will be the subject of a new film, titled The Nun.

James Wan, who directed the two Conjuring films, is on board as producer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The screenplay will be penned by Leslie Johnson, who co-wrote The Conjuring 2. No director has been announced yet.

The Nun marks the second spin-off from the popular horror franchise, following 2014’s Annabelle, which centred on the demonic doll from the first film. Like the two Conjuring films, Annabelle was a hit, grossing over $256 million (Dh940 million) worldwide, on a budget of just $6.5 million. A second Annabelle film is slated for release in 2017.

As the Hollywood Reporter notes, the nun almost didn’t make it into The Conjuring 2, as she was only added during last-minute reshoots to replace the original antagonist — a demonic figure with horns. Bonnie Aarons, under heavy make-up, played the nun. It’s not confirmed whether she’ll return for the character’s stand-alone film.

The Conjuring 2 recently opened to $40.4 million over the weekend, marking the biggest opening for a horror film since the original opened with $41.9 million in 2013. It was also the best-ever debut for a horror film in June.

The Conjuring 2 is scheduled to release in the UAE on July 21.