The Conjuring series in order of release begins with The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016), followed by the Annabelle spin-off series, the Crooked Man tale The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), and related entries such as The Nun, The Curse of La Llorona, and Bloodline. This guide lists every main Conjuring–universe installment in chronological film-release order, pairing each title with its year, director, and core premise. Below, you can see the full sequence at a glance and dive into details for each movie.
The Conjuring Universe Feature Films In Release Order
The table below presents the primary feature films and widely recognized spin-offs in the order they reached audiences. It focuses on the core series and major universe entries commonly referenced when discussing “the Conjuring series in order of release.”
| Film | Year | Director | Primary Focus / Premise |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Conjuring | 2013 | James Wan | Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren assist a family terrorized by a dark presence in rural Rhode Island. |
| The Conjuring 2 | 2016 | James Wan | The Warrens travel to England to confront a malevolent entity haunting a family in London. |
| The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It | 2021 | James Wan | The Warrens defend a man accused of murder after a deadly incident involving a haunted artifact. |
| The Nun | 2018 | Corin Hardy | A priest and a novitiate investigate the suicide of a nun and encounter a sinister entity in a Romanian abbey. |
| The Curse of La Llorona | 2019 | Michael Chaves | A social worker in 1970s Los Angeles confronts a malevolent spirit tied to a legendary wailing woman. |
| Annabelle | 2014 | John R. Leonetti | A newlywed couple is terrorized by a demonically possessed doll in their new home. |
| Annabelle: Creation | 2017 | David F. Sandberg | Backstory of the doll Annabelle, showing how a sculptor and his wife unknowingly invite a malevolent presence into their home. |
| Annabelle Comes Home | 1986 | James Wan | The doll Annabelle wreaks havoc in a family’s house, watched over by a protective babysitter and her friends. |
| Army of the Dead | 2021 | Zack Snyder | An ensemble heist story set in a zombie-infested Las Vegas, connected to the wider DC extended universe; tie-in to the Conjuring world via the creature known as The Conductor. |
Notes on Chronology and Continuity
- The core Warren films—The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It—form the central series in release order.
- Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (1986) explore the doll’s origins and are considered major entries within the larger universe.
- The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona are direct spin-offs framed as companion pieces that expand the mythology and geography of the universe.
- Army of the Dead (2021) intersects with the Conjuring world through creature design and shared lore, but operates as a distinct zombie-heist narrative.
Recurring Themes and Evolution Across the Series
Across the Conjuring series in order of release, certain motifs persist: family as a locus of both safety and threat, the intrusion of the uncanny into domestic spaces, and the idea of evil as a tangible, hierarchical force. The Warrens’ investigations establish patterns of evidence-based paranormal research, while spin-offs—such as The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona—often emphasize localized hauntings tied to historical trauma or religious symbolism. As the series progresses chronologically, visual language becomes more fluid, creature design more specific, and narrative intersections between installments more frequent.
The Value of Watching in Release Sequence
Viewing the Conjuring series in order of release enhances continuity in tone, recurring imagery, and subtle callbacks. You experience the evolution of the Warrens’ characterization, the expansion of the universe through spin-offs, and the deepening of shared mythology. This structured approach also clarifies which elements are essential to the central storyline and which function as self-contained, atmospheric tales that enrich—but do not strictly require—prior knowledge.
Common Viewer Questions
Do I need to watch every movie in this list to understand the main story?
The primary Warren-led arc—the main Conjuring films and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It—forms a relatively cohesive narrative and is the most tightly connected thread. Spin-offs like The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona reference elements of the central storyline but are designed to function as standalone experiences. If your goal is to follow the Warrens’ overarching cases, prioritize the main Conjuring titles and the Devil Made Me Do It installment first.
Are there crossovers beyond creature design?
The series increasingly incorporates shared lore, most notably with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It introducing artifacts and entities that ripple into related media. While direct narrative crossovers are selective, the universe is built to reward viewers who recognize recurring elements such as specific symbols, locations, and the implied presence of a broader supernatural ecosystem.
What role does historical context play in these films?
Several entries, including The Conjuring 2 and The Nun, anchor hauntings in documented history and religious iconography. The series often blends verifiable period details with supernatural fiction, which can make storylines feel more immediate and heighten stakes within the fictional framework.
Why Order Matters for Tone and Payoff
The Conjuring series in order of release moves from methodical, case-based horror to broader, more myth-driven storytelling. Early films emphasize tight scares, procedural investigation, and restrained worldbuilding. Later installments expand scope through spin-offs and deeper myth arcs, which can feel more ambitious but occasionally less focused. Watching in release order allows you to track how each new layer—whether a new character, location, or supernatural rule—affects the tone, stakes, and internal logic of the universe.
Final Takeaways
For viewers new to the universe or revisiting it with an eye toward continuity, following the Conjuring series in order of release offers the clearest path through a sprawling, interconnected horror landscape. Start with the original 2013 film and proceed chronologically to appreciate the Warrens’ evolving cases, the expanding roster of entities, and the carefully constructed framework that turns isolated scares into a lasting, shared mythology.