Matt Rife and Annabelle Rumored for Next Conjuring Universe Movie, Director Teases

So The Conjuring: Last Rites is supposed to be the end of this whole ghost-hunting saga, and yet here we are: the director is already joking about a sequel idea starring Matt Rife and, yes, the Annabelle doll. Horror never dies. It just finds a new bit.

So what did Michael Chaves actually say?

Director Michael Chaves floated the idea during an Entertainment Weekly chat, clearly having fun with it but also sounding like a guy who can see the memes writing themselves.

"It does though feel like a great new chapter. If there ever was a Phase 2 of the [Conjuring] series, I think that it should begin with him [Rife] just turning these viral bits with each one of the artifacts and it just goes horribly wrong."

To be clear: Last Rites is billed as the final Conjuring movie. But Chaves tossing out a 'Phase 2' joke right as the so-called finale hits theaters is exactly the kind of cheeky timing you expect from a franchise that keeps finding ways to keep the lights on.

Why Matt Rife is suddenly part of this conversation

This is where it gets wonderfully weird. Back in August, comedian and actor Matt Rife announced on Instagram that he bought Ed and Lorraine Warren's actual home and Occult Museum. In the films, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the Warrens. In real life, Rife says he is now the legal guardian, for at least the next five years, of the entire haunted collection — including the Annabelle doll — and he is doing it with his friend Elton Castee. He also teased plans to open the property for overnight stays and museum tours. Inside baseball meets haunted Airbnb.

Chaves, for his part, admitted he has no clue why Rife did this and joked that he is "deeply concerned." His take: as long as Rife has an instruction manual and knows the blessing procedure, maybe it will all be fine. Maybe.

The Conjuring Universe, at a glance

• 9 movies total: 4 Conjuring films, 3 Annabelle spin-offs, 2 Nun entries

The Conjuring: Last Rites is in theaters now. Whether that 'finale' label sticks after all this Annabelle-meets-Matt-Rife chatter? Your guess is as good as mine.