How The Conjuring: Last Rites' Cameo-Laden Finale Came Together [Exclusive]
This article contains spoilers for "The Conjuring: Last Rites."
"The Conjuring: Last Rites" may chronicle the disturbing case that prompted the cinematic incarnations of paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), but it's hard to see this series locking up the haunted artifacts room anytime soon. After all, the fourth film in the mothership franchise surpassed 2017's "It" to become the highest grossing global opening for any horror movie with $194 million. But even with its inevitable future on the horizon, "Last Rites," in some respects, feel like a culmination of what horror filmmaker James Wan started back in 2013. /Film's Chris Evangelista calls it a hectic and sweet finale that serves as a worthy conclusion in his review. The finality of "Last Rites" is bolstered by the wedding between Judy Warren (Mia Tomlinson) and her fiancée Tony (Ben Hardy) that also happens to be a curtain call for all sorts of "Conjuring" alumni.
The happy gathering is a lot like the funeral scene from "Avengers: Endgame," when all corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe mourned the death of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). In an exclusive interview with /Film's Jacob Hall, "Last Rites" director Michael Chaves talks about watching his team coordinate the get-together for one day of shooting across the pond:
"It was amazing because so many of those people I was meeting for the first time. It was a massive, massive feat of coordination and just trying to get... Because we're shooting in England also and so it's like flying people over just for one day, really what ended up being one afternoon to shoot that. It was a big feat. And I'm so glad that I didn't have to keep track of everybody that was gonna be there."
Being among the Conjuring alum was like a family reunion of sorts for Michael Chaves
Most of the Warrens' wedding guests were characters involved in the previous three "Conjuring" movies. You had Cindy Perron (Mackenzie Foy) and her formerly possessed mother Caroline (Lily Taylor) from the first "Conjuring," as well as Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor) and her formerly possessed daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe) from "The Conjuring 2." There's also an appearance from David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) from "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It." The easy stand out among them all, however, is Wan, whose presence made my inner horror nerd do the Rick Dalton recognizer point in my seat.
Considering Chaves hopped aboard the "Conjuring" train with "The Curse of La Llorona" (which definitely counts), he never had the opportunity to work with most of the actors above barring Glatzel. For him, it was like being invited to a family reunion (via /Film):
"It was really cool. It was also a family reunion that I feel like I married into where I was like, I don't know everybody, but I definitely still have an emotional connection to it all. It was great."
Chaves is also responsible for directing 2023's "The Nun II" as well, but it appears most of the wedding guests consisted of people that the Warrens helped in previous movies. You won't find anyone from the "Nun" or "Annabelle" movies, unless you count Wan who produced every "Conjuring"-verse entry. "Last Rites" is so silly and overblown that it would have been pretty amazing if the different demons had their own section. I can picture Annabelle trying not to cry, while the Crooked Man (who absolutely deserves his own spin-off) catches the bouquet outside.
"The Conjuring: Last Rites" is now available on most PVOD platforms.