As this year’s release of ‘The Nun II’ approaches, a debate arises among fans over whether it is the eighth or ninth film in the Warner Bros. and New Line’s popular franchise, ‘The Conjuring Universe.’ The confusion stems from the 2019 movie ‘The Curse of La Llorona,’ which, despite having connections to the universe, was never explicitly marketed as an official entry. So, is it part of the Conjuring Universe, or is it not?

Michael Chaves, the director of ‘The Curse of La Llorona,’ recently shed light on the matter during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, celebrating the 10th anniversary of ‘The Conjuring.’ Chaves confirms that his film is not officially considered part of the Conjuring Universe. This may come as a surprise to some, given that Tony Amendola reprised his role as Father Perez from the first Annabelle movie in ‘La Llorona,’ and the movie even features a cameo appearance by the infamous Annabelle doll.

Chaves explains that the Annabelle cameo was intended to be a hidden Easter Egg for observant viewers, a subtle connection to the larger universe. However, due to a slip-up during the film’s premiere at SXSW, the movie was mistakenly introduced as the next entry in the Conjuring Universe, leading to widespread confusion.

The primary reason why ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ couldn’t be officially included in the Conjuring Universe was the absence of one key producer, Peter Safran. The Conjuring series is considered his brainchild, and he and James Wan are the core producers of the franchise. Despite this, Safran graciously allowed the Annabelle cameo in ‘La Llorona,’ acknowledging the connection but firmly stating that the movie does not belong to the Conjuring Universe.

Interestingly, Michael Chaves’ impressive work on ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ caught the attention of the producers, leading to his selection as the director of the mainline sequel, ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.’ Chaves is also at the helm of this year’s release, ‘The Nun II.’

It’s worth noting that ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ didn’t match the box office success of other Conjuring Universe films, grossing $123 million worldwide, while its counterparts usually reach the $200 – $300 million range. Some speculate that the movie might have been considered part of the universe if it had achieved similar box office numbers. Nevertheless, the official confirmation remains that ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ is not part of the Conjuring Universe.

Now that the mystery is cleared up, fans can finally put the debate to rest and appreciate ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ as a stand-alone horror film. As ‘The Nun II’ approaches, audiences can enjoy the Conjuring Universe while accepting that one of its eerie chapters lies just outside its official boundaries.