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The entertainment industry has been in the midst of a horror renaissance for a number of years now. Many of the modern classics have come out of Blumhouse, including James Wan’s original Conjuring movie. Since then it’s grown into a massive franchise, with the latest installment being The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Although director Michael Chaves recently explained why he was terrified to get behind the camera.
The Conjuring franchise was started by horror legend James Wan, who helmed the first two installment of the property and served as a producer for the spinoffs. Michael Chaves made his franchise debut in The Curse of la Llorona, before helming The Devil Made Me Do It. And Chaves described his nervousness ahead of filming by saying:
It was a mix of absolute thrill and absolute terror. I love this series, and I am a huge fan of James. I'm a huge fan of his movies beyond The Conjuring, and I love this franchise. So, coming into it, I took it as, honestly, one of the greatest compliments, the greatest honors, but, without a doubt, huge responsibility.
It sounds like The Conjuring franchise found the right person to helm The Devil Made Me Do It. Because not only did Michael Chaves understand the weight of the property, but he’s also a giant fan of James Wan’s filmmaking sensibility. He was certainly qualified to continue the story… it just took some nerve.
Michael Chaves’ comments to Comic Book highlights the immense pressure the filmmaker felt about directing The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Said pressure came not only from the many fans of the franchise, but also from Chaves himself. After all, he had some major shoes to fill thanks to the acclaimed work of James Wan.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is available for a limited on HBO Max as well as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The concerns that Michael Chaves felt about The Conjuring 3 is likely shared by other horror directors. James Wan was also the original filmmaker behind Saw and Insidious, before eventually passing the torch over to another director. Wan has a unique sensibility and talent for scares, so it’s no doubt difficult to get to his level.
Ahead of its release, The Devil Made Me Do It was being billed as the final chapter in the main Conjuring franchise. But there are a number of spinoffs still presumably in development, including The Crooked Man and a sequel for The Nun. We’ll just have to wait and see what filmmaker are ultimately brought in to tell these scary stories.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is available in theaters and HBO Max now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
