Conjuring franchise will continue, but it might lose James Wan

In the build-up to the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, which Warner Bros. brought to theatres last month (you can read our 7/10 review at THIS LINK), we were being told that it was going to bring the Conjuring film franchise to an end (for now) – but the movie has earned more than $436 million at the global box office, so it’s no surprise that Warner Bros.  wants to get another movie into production sooner rather than later. Puck reports that the studio is already plotting a prequel… but when the franchise continues, it might do so without James Wan, who directed the first two films and has been a producer on all of the Conjuring Universe movies.

According to Puck, “Wan and his Atomic Monster production company have been locked in a standoff of sorts with Warner Bros. for the past few months over his continued involvement in the Conjuring universe. Atomic Monster’s deal requires Warners to credit and pay Wan on all future Conjuring movies, as well as a planned TV series. But Wan, who also launched the Saw and Insidious horror franchises, wants to be paid more for his producing services.” Apparently, Wan’s agent has made multiple visits to the WB lot in an effort to get Wan paid a higher percentage. “CAA initially asked for 50 percent of future movies, then lowered the ask to 25 percent for an initial follow-up film and 50 percent after that.” Of course, the studio is balking at these demands, which is how these things tend to go, and Wan is threatening to walk away from the franchise entirely.

With Wan’s exit looking like a real possibility, WB is reportedly playing down his involvement with the later films in the Conjuring series, saying he has only made “limited” contributions, while Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Natalia Safran, wife and partner of producer Peter Safran, have played bigger roles in the making of the recent films. But Puck’s sources outside of WB say that “Wan is still instrumental in the creative direction of the franchise, and still appears on set and makes key contributions to the mythology and scare sequences that have made the movies so popular.” That may be true, but the executives aren’t interested in paying him more for his services regardless. In the meantime, “To continue receiving his producing credit, Wan is required to perform some basic services, and if he doesn’t, he’ll be in breach of contract. If that happens, Wan and Atomic Monster could be kicked off the franchise entirely, allowing Warners and Safran to go it alone.”

So, what do you think of this mess? Do you think the Conjuring Universe can continue without the contributions of James Wan, or do you think WB should pay up to keep him attached to the franchise? Should the franchise even continue beyond The Conjuring: Last Rites, which received a digital release today? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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