After the massive success of The Nun, New Line Cinema is moving quickly on continuing their Conjuring franchise. A third Annabelle is already casting with plans to release next July, and news broke that Michael Chaves will be handed the baton to direct The Conjuring 3 (Atomic Monster’s James Wan is still producing).

While the duo will have a smaller role in the third Annabelle, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are returning in the third Conjuring as Lorraine and Ed Warren. Insiders give Bloody Disgusting a very small taste of possible story details: from what we’re hearing, The Conjuring 3 will be about a man on trial for murder who claims he was possessed by a demon. While we’re unsure if this is “inspired by true events”, we do know that the Warrens will be investigating. It sort of reminds me of the film WER, in which a lawyer investigates her clients claim that he’s a werewolf.

Chaves directed New Line and Atomic Monster’s upcoming The Curse of La Llorona, which stars Raymond Cruz (“Breaking Bad”), Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy). In theaters April 19, 2019, La Llorona is based on perhaps the best-known Latino folktale, which tells of the ghost of a weeping woman who terrorizes and snatches children to claim as her own.

Bloody Disgusting shared the world exclusive online premiere of Chaves‘ short film “The Maiden”. It was a monster success among our readers and created quite the buzz in the industry.

The Conjuring 3 will continue the Conjurverse, which continues to explode at the box office. A few weekends ago, The Nun opened with $133M worldwide. A sequel is inevitable. Also in development are a second sequel to Annabelle, to be directed by Gary Dauberman (and in theaters by July 3, 2019), and The Crooked Man, the nightmarish character spawned from Wan’s Conjuring 2. Whether or not The Nurse or Chavez’s La Llorona will be included in the Conjuring Universe is yet to be determined.