How Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga Shaped Michael Chaves’s Vision for The Conjuring: Last Rites
After steering The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Michael Chaves doubled down on collaboration for Last Rites, crediting Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s crackling chemistry with forging a trust-first set where every scare hits harder.
Michael Chaves has been steering The Conjuring ship for a while now, and with Last Rites, he sounds like a director who knows when to lean in and when to get out of the way. He opened up about working with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, gave a candid (and slightly puzzling) update on the never-made Crooked Man spin-off, and there are fresh details on when you can watch Last Rites at home.
Chaves on Wilson and Farmiga: trust them and let them run
Chaves, who directed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) and returned for The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025), says the chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga basically smooths out his job. In a new chat with Slashfilm, he described his approach as creating a safe, collaborative set where those two can do what they do best.
Early in his career, he admits he used to be intimidated by actors who also direct. Now he sees it as a huge plus. Both Wilson and Farmiga have spent years living with Ed and Lorraine Warren, and they also have directing experience, which Chaves says makes them especially supportive scene partners behind the camera, not just in front of it.
"Honestly, with them, I just remind them of where we are in the story, and then I just let them go. They are so great."
That tracks with how he talks about the set: he builds the sandbox, they know exactly how to play in it.
So... what happened to The Crooked Man movie?
Remember when The Crooked Man creeped everyone out in The Conjuring 2 (2016) and a spin-off was announced? That project quietly fell apart, and Chaves offered a little context. He says the character still comes up constantly, more than some of the series mainstays. His read on why the spin-off stalled: there was a plan, it ran into mixed reactions somewhere along the way, and the whole thing cooled.
One wrinkle he calls out is how many people assumed Crooked Man was a big CG creation. It wasn’t. The character was primarily brought to life by creature-performance legend Javier Botet, with VFX augmenting the look. Chaves doesn’t plant a flag on why the movie died beyond a vague "no comment" shrug, but he does leave the door cracked for the character down the line.
It’s a slightly odd explanation — talking about mixed reviews for a film that never got made — but the broader point is clear: perception (especially the CG misconception) may have worked against it at the time.
Last Rites basics (and where to watch)
The Conjuring: Last Rites hit theaters on September 5, 2025. It’s the fourth entry in the core series and is being positioned as the Warrens’ final chapter, with Ed and Lorraine facing one of their most personal and chilling cases. It’s rated R.
- PVOD date: October 7, 2025
- Platforms: Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube
- Price to buy: $24.99
- Digital rental: $19.99 for 48 hours
- Scores right now: IMDb 6.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 59%
If you want to jump in immediately, The Conjuring: Last Rites is now available to purchase on Prime Video in the US.
Curious where you land: are you grabbing Last Rites at home, and would you still show up for a Crooked Man movie if it ever clawed its way back?