The Conjuring Rolls On — But James Wan Could Exit

So much for last rites. Warner Bros. is already moving to keep The Conjuring going after the supposed finale. The twist: the series may head into its next chapter without James Wan, the guy who helped build the whole thing.

WB is not done conjuring

The Conjuring: Last Rites was marketed like a capper, at least for now. Then it made more than $436 million worldwide, and suddenly the future is very now. According to Puck, the studio is already mapping out a prequel. Also worth noting: Last Rites hit digital today, because of course it did.

The money fight over James Wan

'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.'

Here is the inside-baseball version in plain English: WB has a deal that says Wan must be credited and paid on all future Conjuring movies, plus a planned TV series. Wan, who also launched Saw and Insidious, wants a raise for producing. His reps at CAA have been walking the WB lot trying to get him a bigger slice. They reportedly started by asking for 50 percent of future movies, then floated a compromise: 25 percent for the next film and 50 percent after that. The studio is balking, as studios do, and Wan is threatening to walk.

Who is really steering this thing?

With an exit on the table, WB has been downplaying Wan's recent contributions, calling them 'limited' and pointing to Atomic Monster's Michael Clear and Natalia Safran (Peter Safran's producing partner and wife) as the ones driving the last few entries. Puck's sources outside the studio push back, saying Wan is still a key creative voice, shows up on set, and helps shape the mythology and scare sequences that keep this machine running. Either way, WB does not seem eager to pay him more.

The leverage and the landmines

There is a contract wrinkle here: to keep his producing credit, Wan has to perform certain baseline duties. If he refuses, that could be considered a breach, and WB could kick Wan and Atomic Monster off entirely and keep going with Peter Safran. Messy? Absolutely. Uncommon? Not really.

• Franchise status: Last Rites was pitched as an end-for-now, then made $436M+ worldwide. Digital is out today, and WB is already plotting a prequel.
• Wan's contract: WB must credit and pay him on future Conjuring films and a planned TV series.
• Wan's ask: CAA opened at 50% of future movies; revised to 25% for the next one and 50% after.
• WB's stance: No thanks. Also claiming Wan's recent input has been 'limited' and spotlighting Michael Clear and Natalia Safran.
• Other sources: Say Wan remains instrumental, shows up on set, and shapes the mythology and scares.
• If talks crater: Wan has to do minimum services to keep his credit. If he doesn't, WB could boot Atomic Monster and carry on with Safran.

Can The Conjuring survive without Wan? Probably, but the connective tissue and those precision-engineered jolts have his fingerprints all over them. If WB really wants to turn the page with a prequel, we are about to find out whether money talks louder than demons.