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Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: The Conjuring, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Warner Bros
The Conjuring: Last Rites Director on Approaching a Key Flashback
Vera Farmiga urged director Michael Chaves to cast younger Ed and Lorraine, ditching de-aging, in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Article Summary
- The Conjuring: Last Rites skips de-aging tech, casting younger actors as Ed and Lorraine Warren for key flashbacks.
- Director Michael Chaves credits Vera Farmiga for suggesting the authentic casting in the highly anticipated sequel.
- Madison Lawlor and Orion Smith portray the Warrens in a pivotal prologue drawn from the couple's early years.
- The film explores the origins of the Warrens' family and centers on the infamous real-life Smurl haunting case.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is the ninth chapter in Warner Bros.' juggernaut horror universe, reuniting Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to close out an unforgettable era. Directed by returning filmmaker Michael Chaves, the film centers on a case inspired by the real-life Smurl haunting and opens with a plot-heavy prologue that returns to the Warrens' early years, a choice that reportedly sparked debate during production.
Because now, we're learning that the early flashback almost relied on digital de-aging for Wilson and Farmiga, until creative input from Farmiga shifted the approach.
Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor in "The Conjuring: Last Rites" (2025). Image courtesy of Warner Bros
The Conjuring: Last Rites Filmmaker on Casting a Different Ed and Lorraine Warren
Chaves tells Collider, "It was actually Vera who came to me, and she was like, 'I think you should just cast some younger actors.' At first, I was kind of panicked, because people love Patrick and Vera. To open a Conjuring movie without Patrick and Vera in a scene like this, I think it definitely brings up some concerns. But in my gut, I knew she was totally right. I've gone back, and I'm like, 'Vera, you saved the movie. You totally saved the movie.' It was absolutely the right call. I've got to also give my amazing wife credit. She actually cast those roles of [Madison Lawlor] and [Orion Smith]. That was our only U.S. casting, and she did such a great job finding them."
On screen, Lawlor and Smith play young Lorraine and young Ed in an opener that tracks the couple through an early case and a pivotal moment surrounding the birth of their daughter, Judy. And to the team's credit, the duo actually brings classic Ed and Lorraine energy to the important moment for the duo, making it feel like a seamless transition. Beyond the prologue, The Conjuring: Last Rites pulls together the core family dynamic that has defined the series. Wilson and Farmiga return alongside Mia Tomlinson as an adult Judy Warren and Ben Hardy as Tony Spera, with Chaves at the helm and Conjuring stalwarts James Wan and Peter Safran producing.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is now playing in theaters nationwide following its U.S. release via Warner Bros. on September 5, 2025.
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