The Nun 2 Trailer: Taissa Farmiga Gets Back In The Habit In A Spooky Sequel

Box office pundits and Hollywood studio executives alike are always trying to put together the perfect box office formula, hoping to finally pinpoint exactly what makes some movies connect with audiences while others fall flat. Horror is generally a safe bet, as horror fans have proven again and again that they're willing to get adventurous at the movies. Still, disagreements remain about what sort of horror is more worth betting on: original films or franchises? Lowbrow slashers or so-called "elevated" horror? In all these discussions, though, I think everyone's overlooking one big factor: the power of Catholic guilt and religious superstition.

That's where "The Conjuring" universe comes in. The James Wan-created franchise that began with 2013's based-on-a-true-story scarer "The Conjuring" utilizes the same faith-based fear that made "The Exorcist" such a phenomenon 50 years ago, and reaps some major monetary rewards in the process. No movie in the universe — which is now eight films deep — is as obvious and straightforward about its fire and brimstone mythology as 2018's "The Nun." Five years later, "The Nun" is set to return with a sequel that will see the story of Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and the demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) continue.

The first trailer for the film gives some insight into what exactly we should expect from this creep-tastic return to the nun v. demon tale, the impact of which has rippled through the "Conjuring" universe both before and after the events of "The Nun." Multiple times throughout these movies, audiences have seen footage of a character named Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) getting an exorcism after becoming possessed by Valak, but it's not a scene that actually ever played out in "The Nun." Instead, that movie ended with Maurice — who we previously knew as Frenchie, the man helping Irene throughout the film — unaware of a possession symbol on his neck. Will "The Nun 2" finally give us the full Maurice story?

One thing we do know is that it'll see the return of some "Conjuring"-verse castmates and the introduction of fresh faces, including that of "Euphoria" and "When They See Us" breakout star Storm Reid. Anna Popplewell ("The Chronicles of Narnia") and Katelyn Rose Downey ("The Princess") are also set to appear, with the former playing a widowed Catholic school teacher living in France with her 10-year-old kid, per Deadline. Behind the camera, "The Nun 2" was directed by Michael Chaves ("The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It"), with Akela Cooper ("Malignant," "M3GAN") among the film's writers. Like the original, the film will take place in the 1950s, before any of these characters could drop a pin and Uber the hell out of these spooky places they keep ending up in.

"The Nun 2" hits theaters on September 8, 2023.