#OnTheBigScreen: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Horror fans will delight in this chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that marks the first time in US history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defence.

It shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators and was one of the most sensational cases from their files, which began with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then took them beyond anything they’d ever seen before. In the film, a policeman stumbles upon a dazed and bloodied young man walking down the road. Accused of murder, the suspect claims demonic possession as his defence, forcing the Warrens (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) into a supernatural inquiry, unlike anything they've ever seen before.

“It was a dream come true,” says director Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona).“I’m a big fan of The Conjuring films. James Wan 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.”

Chaves contends one of the reasons Wan may have tapped him to direct this latest Conjuring instalment is because of their shared love for David Fincher’s classic psychological crime thriller Se7en. Chaves and Wan talked about that film on the set of La Llorona, and it served as a reference point in the evolution of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. “It was a big influence in my look book,” Chaves reveals, “as I made this film.”

“We wanted to keep the elements of the previous films that people love,” says screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who also worked on the story with Wan, “but you don’t want to give them the exact same thing all over again.”

Chaves hopes audiences will enjoy another thrilling Conjuring experience, remarking: “I know they’re going to be scared but I hope they’ll be surprised, too – the great thing about these films is that you get something of the familiar, with Ed and Lorraine’s relationship and the fact that they step right into the danger, but also that they evolve with every story. I’m very excited to see how audiences respond.”

Produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, who have collaborated on all The Conjuring Universe films, directed by Chaves from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring 2), story by James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on characters created by Chad Hayes and Carey W Hayes. It is the seventh film in The Conjuring Universe, the largest horror franchise in history, which has grossed more than $1.8bn worldwide.

Read more

Read more about the latest and upcoming films.