Based on one of the most sensational cases from the files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It scares its way onto HBO GO from August 27.
Telling a chilling story of terror, murder, and unknown evil, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy that takes the Warrens beyond anything they’d ever seen before – marking the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a legal defense.
Under the direction of Michael Chaves, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return to star as Lorraine and Ed Warren. The film also stars Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Julian Hilliard. The film was produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, who have collaborated on all the “Conjuring” universe films.
New Blood for a Storied Horror Franchise
Serving as the creative force behind the universe, developing stories, and overseeing spinoffs, James Wan is synonymous with “The Conjuring”. However, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the first core “Conjuring” film where Wan was not in the director’s chair.
When Chaves got the initial call to direct the film, he wasn’t expecting it, but he was fully ready to jump on board. “I had just worked with Michael Chaves,” Wan says, “and I really liked the guy a lot. I saw him grow as a filmmaker over the course of his first feature and felt his creativity, energy and mindset were exactly what ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ needed.
“It was a dream come true,” Chaves, characteristically upbeat, admits. “I’m a big fan of the ‘Conjuring’ films. James is the modern master of horror, so to take the reins on this world he created is both exciting and daunting. There’s a huge responsibility not just to James, but to the fans, to the franchise, and to the characters he created. That was not lost on me.”
A New Challenge for The Warrens
As far back as production on “The Conjuring 2,” conversations were had about what the next case file would be for Ed and Lorraine to tackle onscreen. Wan knew he didn’t want the next installment to be another haunted house movie, constraining his supernatural superheroes to the same four walls of storytelling that had been covered already in the first two films.
In order to achieve that goal, Wan, Safran and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick turned to one of the Warrens’ most famous case files - centered on the first U.S. murder trial where demonic possession was used as a legal defense. The team felt this was the perfect opportunity for Ed and Lorraine to push their skills to the limit, to risk their lives in order to prove the innocence of the accused and the existence of evil.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It also gave the filmmakers the perfect platform to send Ed and Lorraine out and into the world at large, engaging the police and investigating the sinister reasons that led to a horrific crime.
“What really sets this ‘Conjuring’ apart and makes it so exciting,” Chaves says, “is that you have all of the scares and the terror that you would expect from a ‘Conjuring’ film, but it is set against this incredible mystery that is tied into what the ‘Conjuring’ universe is all about.”
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is the seventh film in the “Conjuring” Universe, the largest horror franchise in history, which has grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide. It includes the first two “Conjuring” films, as well as “Annabelle” and “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Nun,” and “Annabelle Comes Home.”
Stream or download The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do Iton HBO GO. Download the app at the App Store or Play Store on your device. You can also access HBO GO via Cignal or at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/. HBO GO can be accessed via Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.