Future Conjuring Movies Could Be Missing One Key Part Of The Horror Franchise

It's a tale as old as time: A popular franchise reaches new heights of success, the studio moves heaven and earth to keep the good times rolling, but the original creator finds themselves getting pushed further and further to the margins. It's happened before, it'll happen again, and it could very well be happening right now with "The Conjuring" series. The horror property was the brainchild of director James Wan, and his efforts on the first two movies had an immeasurable impact on the various spin-offs and sequels that followed in their wake. This culminated with the ominous-sounding "Last Rites," which certainly tried its best to make it seem like the end of the line for our paranormal power couple, the Warrens. Surprise of all surprises, that no longer appears to be the case ... and Wan's future with the IP suddenly seems in doubt, as well.

Puck's Matthew Belloni reports that Warner Bros. and Wan may be at an impasse after months of negotiating. The genre guru behind "Saw," "Insidious," and "Malignant" has remained attached to the franchise as a producer. According to Belloni, the terms of his original contract stipulate a creative credit and sizable cut of the profits with each subsequent installment — and, given the record-breaking box office haul on "Last Rites" already, it makes all the business sense in the world that Wan's representation would be looking for more. But as the back-and-forth between both parties has continued behind the scenes (and it's worth noting that the very fact this news has leaked to the public indicates one side or the other is attempting to negotiate through the press, which I'll leave savvy readers to connect the dots there), things would seem to be at a stalemate at the moment regarding Wan's future with the franchise.

There's a few key aspects to parse through here. One, Belloni's reporting suggests that Warner Bros. is itching to move forward with a prequel film along with a TV series. But despite Wan's name brand power, competing sources remain at odds over whether he's being paid fairly for his contributions. All this could be setting the stage for an ugly divorce ... or a significant payday.

Given the real-world controversy swirling around "The Conjuring," perhaps it's only fitting that some behind-the-scenes drama gets added into the mix. "Last Rites" may have been sold as a grand finale of sorts, complete with a feel-good cameo late in the movie by James Wan himself and the possibility for more spooky stories to come. Yet, the future has never felt more unsettled.

The Puck report frames the negotiations between Warner Bros. and Wan's team as a "standoff" raging over the past several months. Supposedly, Wan's requests for a bigger slice of the pie have been rebuffed, leading to his side threatening to walk away from the "Conjuring" movies altogether — a major PR blow to a franchise with a fan base smart enough to know that Wan's name in the credits is better than the alternative. Muddying the waters even further are the competing narratives offered up by the studio side versus the creative side. Puck's studio sources are obviously attempting to minimize Wan's contributions, suggesting that his actual creative input throughout the last few films have been "limited." Meanwhile, the word from their non-studio sources is that Wan continues to offer key assists in terms of the plotting and the scare-ridden set pieces throughout each movie.

Questions abound, however. Does Warner Bros. truly have the power to lowball Wan and his production company Atomic Monster if he isn't actually in breach of his contract? Would it make any sense for Wan to actually walk away from the franchise he helped create in the first place? Is all this just a brief spat that will ultimately amount to nothing? Whatever the case may be, audiences seem to be in for more of "The Conjuring" series. It's now just a matter of what level of quality and artistic oversight from Wan we can expect moving forward. Stay tuned, folks.

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" is now playing in theaters.