While James Wan isn’t expected to direct, The Conjuring 2‘s David Leslie Johnson will write the screenplay for the third film in the growing Warner Bros./New Line horror universe, Deadline reports.
While The Conjuring 3 is expected to bring Wan back into the fold, he is not expected in the same capacity. Wan directed the first Conjuring (which still holds the record as the biggest opening weekend for a non-sequel at $41.8M). Wan also directed, co-wrote produced the second in what has become a lucrative franchise.
This time around, expect Wan to serve as producer through his Atomic Monster production company with Peter Safran who is also in the wings to return as producer.
Screenwriter Johnson is well-known to genre fans as he scripted the second film of the franchise, is also known for the horror film Orphan and for scripting the forthcoming reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The logline for the third installment of the popular franchise — The Conjuring 3 — is currently under wraps but will also be based on another of the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The Conjuring 3 marks the seventh film in the growing Conjuring universe following that of its first two incarnations plus Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun and The Crooked Man (which is currently in development).
