The Conjuring: Last Rites acts as a send-off for the Warrens and includes a full-circle moment in the post-credits scene, which has been explained by the latest installment’s director. The fourth entry in the main Conjuring series and the ninth entry in the cinematic universe premiered on September 5 and grossed $83 million domestically during its opening weekend.

Last Rites sees demonologist couple Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) revisiting a demon they encountered many years ago, as it is now using an antique mirror as a conduit to haunt the Smurl family. After The Conjuring: Last Rites’ mostly happy ending, the post-credits scene suggests the mirror is the namesake of the franchise.

The conjuring mirror is an artifact that remains at The Warren Occult Museum in Connecticut as part of the real Ed and Lorraine Warren’s collection of allegedly haunted objects. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Last Rites director Michael Chaves revealed how, alongside the development of the movie’s story, “the stars aligned” concerning this final scene.

It wasn’t necessarily a reveal of how the franchise got its name, but Chaves saw this as a perfect “full circle” moment, as he explains below:

It was more this kismet “the stars aligned.” I really wanted the movie to center on an artifact. I kind of felt like the artifacts were these secondary elements to the movies. We have a case, and then here’s a trophy. But I just love the idea with the artifact room that the artifact is this container of evil that needs to be locked away, just like Annabelle. It felt like that is their experience; they collect these evil things. So I want the artifact to be front and center.

Fans and Chaves might like the idea that series creator James Wan had planned this moment from the beginning, but the Last Rites director confirms that this was not the case. Chaves says: “It was really just luck. I loved ending on it, and I love that pH๏τo.“

What The Post-Credits Scene Means For The Conjuring: Last Rites

While the Conjuring universe may continue with other spin-off movies, this is seen as the end of the Warrens’ saga, hence the credits to the latest installment featuring footage and images of the Warren family. The final scene after the credits shows a pH๏τo of the real Ed Warren next to a mirror, which is labeled as “the conjuring mirror,” as it is used to summon spirits.

The inspiration for the artifact that the last movie revolves around being the franchise’s namesake would have been very poetic. However, early on, Chaves was presented with the idea by screenwriters Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, who noted the coincidence; thus, the team was able to include this ending that seemed like it was planned all along because of how perfect it truly is.

Our Take On The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Post-Credits Scene

Sometimes, it really doesn’t matter if the behind-the-scenes story is as elegant as you would think when coincidence works out splendidly. The Conjuring series emphasizes the real-life inspiration of the Warrens’ cases to make the whole thing that much more chilling, creating a unique situation of suspension of disbelief.

But the inclusion of the conjuring mirror at the very end of The Conjuring: Last Rites isn’t necessarily evidence of the plot’s accuracy; it’s a homage to one artifact that grounds the concept of the series in something real. Ultimately, it’s a very satisfying moment that fans who have been with the series since the beginning will feel like is the ideal reward.