Creator of The Conjuring Universe James Wan has opened up about how the difficulty he faced filming Furious 7 led to him going back to direct The Conjuring 2. Furious 7 was the final Fast & Furious movie to feature Paul Walker, who died midway through filming. Wan was forced to continue making the movie, turning it into a final tribute for Walker’s character Brian O’Conner.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wan explained how the challenges he faced making Furious 7 led him to direct The Conjuring 2. He expressed how The Conjuring Universe is a familiar filmmaking zone for him, which helped him enjoy making the installment. Check out what Wan had to say below:
I was in the midst of finishing Furious 7, and that movie was such a difficult, tough, challenging film to make. I just knew that I wanted to go back to something I felt very comfortable with and I was familiar with. I love working with Patrick [Wilson] and Vera [Farmiga] and New Line. So, it felt like I was coming back to a familiar situation that I love and enjoy, and I wanted to tell the next chapter of my cinematic Warrens.
How The Conjuring Universe Continues To Evolve
Wan’s The Conjuring 2 directly introduced Valak, the overarching demonic antagonist of The Conjuring universe. Valak would also appear in nun form in The Nun, a prequel to The Conjuring subseries set in the 1950s. Valak will be returning in the upcoming film The Nun II, which releases in theaters on September 6, 2023.
Because of Wan’s challenging time making Furious 7, it’s understandable why he feels more at ease focusing on something he had a hand in creating, like The Conjuring Universe. Wan’s creation of The Conjuring Universe is also why he’s maintained a producer role for every film. It’s clear the horror director has a passion for the shared universe, which is bound to continue given popular characters like Annabelle and the Warrens.
While it seems Wan won’t be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise anytime soon, he’s clearly found his passion in producing horror movies. Alongside The Conjuring universe, Wan is also a producer on the Insidious films and M3GAN, showing his heart lies with the horror genre. However, he directed the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well, showing he won’t shy away from non-horror projects he’s passionate about. Unfortunately, though, it seems Furious 7 dampened his interest in Fast & Furious, while The Conjuring 2 fed his love of horror.
Source: EW
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This story originally appeared on Screenrant
