Spawned from a good idea for a ghost story that is based on both real life and on the influence of movies like POLTERGEIST, THE CONJURING turned into a monster hit that led to more monster hits full of monstrous demons. Now, the Conjuring universe is eight movies deep, with the ninth movie, THE NUN II, coming in September.
With a main set of conjuring movies, and three spinoff franchises which take place at various points in time, the CONJURING movie timeline is complicated. Whether you want to prepare for THE NUN II, or simply revisit all of the movies, here a guide to tell you exactly how to watch the CONJURING movies in order.
Watch The Conjuring Movies by Release Date
First, let's look at the release order for THE CONJURING movies. As you'd expect, we begin with the original movie, with the core storyline movies staggered among the three spinoff storylines.
- The Conjuring (2013)
- Annabelle (2014)
- The Conjuring 2 (2016)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- The Nun (2018)
- The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
- The Nun 2 (2023)
Watch the Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order
We told you the timeline was somewhat complicated! From a chronological perspective, the Conjuring universe begins with one of the most recently-released movies.
1. The Nun (2018)
The Conjuring timeline begins in Romania, in 1952. There, a Catholic priest and a nun (Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga star) investigate the death of another nun. They discover the influence of a demon called Valak (Bonnie Aaron). This is more or less the origin story of the character introduced in THE CONJURING 2.
2. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Another origin story for a central spirit in the Conjuring universe, ANNABELLE CREATION takes place in California, in 1955. The doll, Annabelle, is the central figure as a dollmaker and his wife, having lost their child, open their home as a sort of orphanage. Unfortunately, the kids aren't the only entities being hosted in the house.
3. The Nun II (2023)
This sequel hasn't been released yet, but we know that it takes place four years after the events of the first movie. That places it third on the Conjuring chronological order list.
4. Annabelle (2014)
The ANNABELLE spin-off was effectively the first sequel to THE CONJURING. It takes place a few years before that movie, in 1967. The story follows a Southern California family who unwittingly bring evil into their home as they acquire Annabelle.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
We've got to go halfway down the chronological list before we get to the original movie! Here's the starting point, with Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson playing real-life paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. The story takes place in 1971 as the Warrens try to help out the haunted Perron family in Rhode Island.
6. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
The third ANNABELLE movie takes place in 1972, right after THE CONJURING. Now young Judy Warren (McKenna Grace), has to deal with Annabelle and her family's other haunted artifacts after a careless action lets evil roam the house while her parents are away.
7. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The film based on the Mexican folk tale of a weeping woman who steals children. It's set in 1973, and follows a woman in Los Angeles whose children are targeted by La Llorona. It's pretty tenuously connected to the CONJURING movies, but the Father Perez character from Annabelle does set it as a spinoff.
8. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Lorraine and Ed Warren return here as the main characters as the couple, who are now well known thanks to their connection to the haunting in Amityville, tries to help another family beset by spirits. The 1977-set story introduces the demonic nun, Valak, who became one of the most popular characters in the series.
9. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The most recent movie in the Conjuring universe is also last in the chronological Conjuring order. The story begins in 1981 when the Warrens witness an exorcism. During that rite, a demon exits the boy it has possessed and enters a young man, who subsequently murders someone. That leads to a trial in which the defense is based on the idea of the young man being innocent by virtue of demonic possession.
THE NUN II opens on September 8
All images courtesy of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.