The next addition to The Conjuring Universe is headed to theaters and fans of the horror franchise can’t wait to see what terror the demon Valak has in store for them next. Part of the dark world created by horror hero James Wan, The Nun II has been long awaited, and five years after the release of the first The Nun film, audiences are eager to see what haunt the demon is headed to next. In the first Nun film, audiences followed Sister Irene and Father Burke as they investigated the death of a nun in Saint Cartha’s monastery in Romania. Things weren’t what they seemed within the walls of the Abbey, and Sister Irene faced off against the demon who escaped banishment by possessing unsuspecting delivery man Maurice. With the second film picking up four years later, audiences will have to wait and see what horrors the demon will cause while residing in its new vessel.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on August 2, 2023.

Is There a Trailer for The Nun II?

Warner Bros released the official trailer for The Nun II on July 6, 2023. The trailer will also play before showings of Insidious: The Red Door. The trailer teases that the sequel to the Conjuring spin-off will feature plenty of scares, and will bring a new story to the demonic nun Valak. A teaser trailer was shown exclusively in theaters in early June 2023, in front of select screenings of The Boogeyman. On August 7, we got a new teaser for The Nun II, which you can see below:

Will The Nun II Be in Theaters?

Unfortunately for those who prefer to watch horror films from the comfort of their homes (possibly with a light on), The Nun II will be released only in theaters. The R-rated film will likely that the film will eventually be available to stream. It’s currently unknown where the film will land, our guess is on Max where you can now stream the first Nun film, and revisit the chilling Conjuring prequel.

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When Will The Nun II Be Released?

In the fall of 2022, it was announced that the film had officially been given a theatrical release date of September 8, 2023.

What Will The Nun II Be About?

Bonnie Aarons, who portrays the demon Valak, said in an interview with ComingSoon.net that she hopes the film explores more of the “depth of the demon.” Exploring the character of the demon could potentially hint as to how Ed and Lorraine Warren will eventually deal with the evil being in future Conjuring films.

At the end of the first Nun film, it was revealed that Maurice, also known as “Frenchie,” had become possessed by the demon Valak. Maurice’s exorcism was the one shown in the video at Ed and Lorraine Warren’s later seminars twenty years later. It is also the exorcism in which Lorraine experienced the horrific visions of Ed’s death. Fans are curious to see what part of Maurice’s story will be shown in this next chapter of The Conjurverse, and if Maurice's exorcism will bring The Conjuring and The Nun casts together.

The official story description reads as follows:

1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.

Could the priest in the image James Wan shared be the one who is killed? Audiences will have to wait and see.

Who Is in the Cast of The Nun II?

Bonnie Aarons is set to reprise her role as Valak, the demonic Nun who haunts The Conjuring universe. Aarons first appeared as the demonic nun in The Conjuring 2, in which she begins haunting the Warrens. Aarons has taken on a number of roles in which she dons wild makeup and prosthetics to portray terrifying characters, including multiple demons, a vampire, and the filth-covered living nightmare in David Lynch’s 1999 thriller Mulholland Drive. Aarons has shared that she has fun with her roles, which shows in her dedication to her terrifying characters.

It was announced in October 2022 that Taissa Farmiga will return as Sister Irene. In The Nun, Sister Irene battled against the powerful demon Valek in Saint Cartha’s monastery, banishing the wicked spirit… or so she thought. Sister Irene will have to face off against the demon once again as it seems Valak may have followed her and Maurice to France.

Taissa Farmiga is the younger sister of Vera Farmiga who portrays Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring series. Known for her role as Max Cartwright in The Final Girls, Taissa is also recognizable for portraying various characters across 32 episodes of American Horror Story. Farmiga’s first credited acting role was in 2011, portraying the younger version of her sister's character Corinne Walker in the drama film Higher Ground. Twelve years later the sisters are now the leads in connected stories of the same film franchise. Fans wonder if they will see the two sisters appear alongside each other in Maurice's eventual exorcism.

Jonas Bloquet was confirmed to be returning to portray French delivery man Maurice, also known as Frenchie. At the end of The Nun, after becoming possessed by the demon, Bloquet’s character states that he is going to return to his father’s tomato farm in France, where the next film happens to take place. Since appearing in The Nun, Bloquet has taken on roles in a number of French films and television series, as well as appearing in the 2022 Netflix horror series 1899, in which he, along with other travelers, must solve a dark riddle aboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Anna Popplewell will appear as Marcella, a new character said to be a schoolteacher at St. Mary’s School in France. Popplewell is recognizable as the actress who portrayed Susan Pevensie, the older sister in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. Most recently Popplewell appeared as the protagonist in the 2022 time-bending thriller The Gallery and is currently working on the upcoming epic romance film Fairytale.

Young actress Katelyn Rose Downey will appear as Sophie, the daughter of Popplewell’s school teacher character. The Nun II will be Downey’s third credited acting role, following her portrayal of Violet in the 2022 Hulu original film The Princess. In May 2023 she will appear as Caitlin Mohan, the daughter of a detective in the upcoming crime series Clean Sweep.

Storm Reid is said to appear as a fellow Nun-in-training, who adds funkiness to the dark story. Reid is known for her lead role as Meg in the 2018 Disney film A Wrinkle in Time. Reid appeared most recently as Riley Abel in The Last of Us, the best friend and love interest of lead character Ellie Williams, though fans of the teen drama series Euphoria will know her as Gia Bennett, Rue’s sweet and caring younger sister.

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Who Is Making The Nun II?

Director Michael Chaves will be returning to The Conjuring franchise to direct the second Nun film. Chaves first worked within the franchise when he directed The Curse of La Llorona, with Wan producing. They later collaborated when Chaves directed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, for which he brought a new level of immersive darkness with terrifying visuals depicting demonic possession.

Akela Cooper is the writer behind the story and screenplay for The Nun II. Cooper was most recently credited for her role in writing the 2023 horror film M3GAN. She previously worked with James Wan on his hit film Malignant. Much of Cooper’s career lies in the world of horror, with her previous projects including Grimm and American Horror Story. Though, she has had her hand in the world of superheroes, writing episodes for Luke Cage, Jupiter’s Legacy, and Avengers Assemble.

Working alongside Cooper are screenwriters Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, who previously worked together on horror and horror-adjacent projects The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Eli, Fear The Walking Dead, and Dead Summer.

James Wan will have his hand in the project as a producer.

When Did The Nun II Film?

James Wan made a post on Instagram on October 12, 2022, showing a priest somewhere with ornate white walls, announcing that filming for the sequel had officially begun. Filming wrapped later that year.