Warner Bros. has confirmed that Taissa Farmiga will be back as Sister Irene in The Nun 2. The American Horror Story star is set to share the screen with The Invisible Man's Storm Reid in the Conjuring spin-off sequel.
Michael Chaves, who helmed the franchise's most recent entry, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is geared up to direct, taking over from the first flick's leader Corin Hardy. Akela Cooper wrote the screenplay, alongside Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing.
As it stands, the plot of The Nun 2 is being kept under wraps. Its predecessor, which was released in 2018, sees Farmiga play a novitiate nun, who travels to a Romanian monastery with a priest, Father Burke (Demián Bichir) to investigate the violent and mysterious deaths of two fellow sisters. As expected, horrible, supernatural events ensue.
Despite earning negative reviews upon release, The Nun remains The Conjuring series' highest-grossing title, so it's hardly surprising that the studio has greenlit a second chapter. According to Deadline, it made $365.6 million (£321.7m) worldwide.
Set in 1952, it acts as somewhat of an origin story for Valak (Bonnie Aarons), the demon that terrorizes paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) in The Conjuring 2. After a shock reveal in its final moments suggests that Irene's new ally, Maurice (Jonas Bloquet), has been possessed by the malevolent entity, The Nun cuts to 20 years later. In the flashforward, The Conjuring's Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) watches the Warrens show a class full of students footage of their attempted exorcism on Maurice, also known as Frenchie. Perhaps the new film will bridge the gap between Irene and Maurice fleeing the abbey and the latter's encounter with the Warrens...
Nodding to the movies' interconnectedness (and the fact that Taissa and Vera are related in real life), producer James Wan – creator of The Conjuring series – took to social media to share news of Farmiga's casting. Teasing fans desperate for a crossover, he wrote on his Instagram Story: "Now, how to get the two Farmiga sisters to meet up in this world??!"
The Nun 2 is expected to release on September 8, 2023. While we wait, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies coming our way in 2022 and beyond, or have a look over our list of best horror movies in honor of spooky season.
