"The Conjuring" was one of the most successful horror movies of all times and so was its spawned spin-off "Annabelle." The recently-released sequel "The Conjuring 2" also did well at the box office.
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) has reported that "The Conjuring 2" was the No. 1 movie in North America and also the No. 1 internationally this past weekend outside of China. It had the largest opening weekend ever for a horror movie in 30 countries, including Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Latin America and several countries in Asia. In the first five days of its release, the film has grossed over $100 million worldwide.
Hence, encouraged by it, New Line has green lit a new spin-off based on the movie's antagonist, The Nun. Most of the films of the franchise revolve around haunted objects. However, this would be the first time when the next instalment will be about a ghost.
As reported by THR, the screenplay of the spin-off will be written by David Leslie Johnson while "Conjuring" series director and producer James Wan and Peter Safran will act as the producers.
According to Gizmodo, "The Conjuring 2" didn't even have an evil nun as the antagonist initially. The original villain was a "demonic figure with horns. However, Wan swapped the character with the nun after he had a "revelation" and New Line allowed him to do some last-minute re-shoots.
Though a risky decision, the idea definitely paid off, and The Nun served as one of the strongest elements in "The Conjuring 2." However, whether it will add to the success of other movies of the franchise or not, will remain to be seen.