The Conjuring: Last Rites is set to be the final movie in this iconic horror series, but certain details from the film’s production suggest that the horror universe may stick around for a while longer. The upcoming sequel picks up several years after the ending of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which saw Ed and Lorraine Warren face their most dangerous enemy yet and barely escape with their lives. While this new movie won’t be a direct sequel to that story, it will follow the iconic protagonists in their most public case yet.

Last Rites has always been marketed as the final entry in the main Conjuring franchise, and that theory is backed up by the few details that we already know about the story. The film’s narrative will explore Ed and Lorraine’s investigation into the Smurl family, who experienced one of the most severe and public hauntings in American history. This is perhaps the case that Ed and Lorraine Warren are best known for, so it makes sense that it’s the focus of their final on-screen adventure. This way, they’ll be going out on a high note.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Is Introducing A Young Ed & Lorraine Warren

Two Young Actors Have Been Cast In The Sequel

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Conjuring: Last Rites that has already been confirmed is the story’s focus on a young Ed and Lorraine Warren. While Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will cover the majority of the narrative with their grown-up protagonists, a series of first-look images have confirmed that younger versions of both characters will also factor into the story, most likely through some revelatory flashbacks that further deepen Ed and Lorraine’s backgrounds. It’ll also make the end of their stories even more impactful.

The young characters will be played by Madison Lawlor and Orion Smith, whose previous credits include The Honor List and On The Run, respectively. This will be the first mainstream project for both actors, but their roles in the upcoming sequel could be surprisingly large ones. The Conjuring: Last Rites began filming in late 2024, and very few set pH๏τos or plot details have been released since then, with the crew doing an excellent job of keeping the project under wraps. To this end, it’s entirely possible that Lawlor and Smith’s roles will be much more significant than expected.

Ed and Lorraine Warren are the beating heart of The Conjuring franchise, and if this truly is the final sequel for Wilson and Farmiga, then it makes sense for the story to go back in time and explore their childhood. There’s plenty of untapped material in the Warrens’ early years that could make for an exciting story, and if Last Rites manages to tie everything together by delving into their past, that would be a very fitting way of bringing their on-screen adventures as adults to a close.

The Conjuring 4 Has To Be Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga’s Last Movie As The Warrens

There’s No Way Their Stories Continue After This Case

Both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have suggested that The Conjuring: Last Rites will mark their final time playing Ed and Lorraine Warren, but not everybody is convinced that they’ll be leaving the characters behind for good. This franchise has done an incredible job of sowing the seeds of spin-off projects, sequels, and prequels throughout the years, where Wilson and Farmiga could definitely show up again in the future. However, there’s one key detail of Last Rites (beyond the ominous тιтle) that seemingly confirms this to be their final adventure together.

From the few plot details that have been announced, it’s clear that Last Rites is going to detail the Warrens’ real-life investigation of the Smurl family haunting, which was famously their final professional case in real life. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, franchise producer Peter Safran also outright stated, “It’s the end of the story with Patrick and Vera as Ed and Lorraine.” All of this points towards Last Rites being the final entry in the main series, serving as a proper conclusion for this iteration of the iconic characters.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Proves Ed & Lorraine’s Story Can Continue Without Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga

There’s So Much Room For Conjuring Spin-Offs

However, the very concept of Last Rites also proves that The Conjuring franchise can continue to exist without Wilson and Farmiga at the helm. By introducing younger versions of these characters, Last Rites subtly opens the door for countless more adventures with the Warrens during their youth. There’s now plenty of room to go back in time and explore some prequel adventures, which The Conjuring universe has already done plenty of times with offshoots like The Nun and Annabelle. It feels like a very logical next step for Ed and Lorraine to be the subject of The Conjuring’s next prequel.

Interestingly, Safran’s aforementioned quote quietly and cleverly suggests that Last Rites’ status as the final Conjuring movie isn’t quite accurate. Instead of stating outright that there will be no more adventures with the Warrens, he emphasizes that this is the end for Wilson and Farmiga specifically. This very subtly shifts the focus away from Ed and Lorraine’s story ending and places it instead on Wilson and Farmiga’s exit, which isn’t necessarily the same thing. New actors could continue to play Ed and Lorraine, and Last Rites is already setting the stage for this with Lawlor and Smith’s casting.

Young Ed & Lorraine Warren Stories Can Be Part Of The Conjuring Universe’s Phase Two After Last Rites

An Ed & Lorraine Warren Prequel Could Be Very Successful

It seems illogical for The Conjuring universe to end so abruptly when the prequels and spin-offs are still making plenty of money at the box office and attracting new audiences with every pᴀssing installment. This may be the end of the horror franchise from Wilson and Farmiga’s perspectives, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be over altogether. Instead, this may simply be the end of the franchise’s first “phase,” with another series of actors coming in to explore some new adventures in the future.

Ultimately, the only thing that’s been confirmed at this moment is that The Conjuring: Last Rites will be the chronological end of Ed and Lorraine’s story. This neither confirms nor denies the plans for any prequels or spin-offs; in fact, the introduction of two young actors is pretty solid evidence that there’s room for more stories to be told in these characters’ childhoods and early twenties. Whatever James Wan and Safran decide to do with The Conjuring franchise, there’s no doubt that it will continue to exist in some form.