Patrick Wilson shares his thoughts on the future of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and if he's open to returning to The Conjuring universe.
The Conjuring: Last Rites recently closed off the long-running story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, once again proving that even with a few bumps along the way, this series still commands a loyal audience. Leading up to its release, the latest film was also billed as the couple's final big-screen project, and this likely contributed to it becoming one of the franchise's strongest performers at the box office, pulling in nearly $500 million worldwide. Now the actor who has played Ed since the first film suggests that (for him) the door remains open.
Speaking about the future of the horror saga, Patrick Wilson recently shared that he remains fond of the role and believes that there are still stories worth exploring with the Warrens. Wilson shares, "I adore Vera. We're super close. And Ed Warren lived into his seventies. I think there's more story somewhere. But this is the end of this chapter." While the actor has previously addressed the "final chapter" label before, he's also now admitting that there aren't any long-term return plans being pitched either. "We're told that [Last Rites ends a chapter]. I'm not being coy, that's literally what we've been told. And that's fine. It's all good. We had a great run." Wilson later adds, "What lies ahead? No idea."
Across twelve years on screen, The Conjuring series has grown from a haunted house chiller into a full horror universe. The main Conjuring films span four entries, from The Conjuring in 2013 through to The Conjuring: Last Rites in 2025, while the wider Conjuring Universe has reached 10 movies overall, including the Annabelle trilogy, two outings for demonic villain Valak in The Nun and The Nun II, and the loosely connected folk horror story The Curse of La Llorona.
Though the main run is what really helped turn the property into one of the most successful horror brands and gave Wilson and Vera Farmiga room to build Ed and Lorraine into a modern genre power couple, regularly cited as one of horror's strongest screen pairings of the last decade (which they've earned). As of now, Warner Bros and New Line are already developing an Ed and Lorraine prequel that is expected to focus on the pair's early investigations, with younger actors stepping in as a new generation of Warrens, following early interest sparked by younger versions of the couple in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Still, Wilson's comments suggest that, for now, he is content to let that chapter move forward while keeping the possibility of future appearances alive. But let's be honest, between the actors' interests and strong box office numbers, they'll probably find their way back at one point.