Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga to return for “Conjuring” hit horror sequel

PanARMENIAN.Net - New Line has set its “Conjuring” sequel for a pre-Halloween release on Oct. 23, 2015, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga returning to star, Variety said.

The yet-to-be titled sequel, which does not have a director yet, is the first title to land on the date.

New Line scored a massive surprise hit last summer with James Wan’s supernatural thriller “The Conjuring,” which amassed about $320 million in worldwide box office on a $20 million budget.

New Line had already begun development of a sequel before the movie opened last July. Chief exec Toby Emmerich told Variety in December that “Conjuring 2” would tap a similar vein as the first film, which largely avoided conventional horror film ploy while exploring demonic possession.

“‘The Conjuring’ is incredibly effective and scary without the use of blood, gore and death,” he said at time. “It’s a horror film that emphasizes atmosphere and suspense in the tradition of classics like ‘Psycho’ or ‘The Others.’”

Set in Rhode Island in 1971, the story is based on the work of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren — portrayed by Wilson and Farmiga. Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor played the father and mother of the five Perron girls who were terrorized by the haunted house.

The team of Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes, who penned “The Conjuring,” came on board as writers for the sequel last summer. The brothers interviewed Lorraine Warren extensively as part of developing the script.

Warner Bros. had originally dated “The Conjuring” for Jan. 25 of last year but then decided to move it back to the summer as a result of the test screening results. Producers are Rob Cowan, Peter Safran and Tony DeRosa-Grund.

Emmerich has said Wan is expected to be involved in some capacity with the sequel.

New Line has already started filming “Annabelle,” a spin-off based on a possessed doll introduced in “The Conjuring.”