One more potential sequel thing. We’re all excited by Crooked Man. He’s still one of the best one-off “Conjuring” villains, and there was talk of a film a while back. Have you heard rumblings? Has anybody asked your opinion on Crooked Man? What’s up with Crooked Man?
It is fascinating. Crooked Man is the question that everybody asks [laughs], honestly, it’s strangely more recurring than if there’s gonna be another “Annabelle” sequel. I don’t know, it’s so fascinating. I think it just got some mixed reviews. I always loved Crooked Man. I think that some people thought it was CG and rejected it, and it was absolutely not. It was all that amazing creature performer. But, um, yeah … no comment. [laughs]
Fair enough. It’s been really fun to go back and watch your earliest movies, and your growth as a filmmaker is obvious. It’s really fun to see how much more confident and scary your films have become as you’ve made them. What are some of the key milestones where you find yourself growing as a filmmaker and becoming more confident in pulling off what you pull off in these films?
It’s a great question, and honestly, it’s something I’ve thought a lot about on this journey. This has definitely been my favorite film to make. I totally appreciate the compliment and the observation. I think that the biggest lesson is that it’s a team effort. And the best experience and actually, I think the best results, come from hiring a really good team, surrounding yourself with the very best people, and then supporting them in giving you the best stuff possible. I think the wrongheaded approach of making movies is just thinking that it’s about one person. Directors get both too much credit and too much blame on the movies.
I feel like I’ve been the most successful in really just taking myself, my own ego, out of it and being more about like, “Hey, this is a team. I’m a coach, and I just need to get the smartest people around me. I need to activate them. I need to give them a safe space to create.” And then really let them unleash something great. It’s like the Steve Jobs quote of, “I don’t hire smart people and tell them what to do. I hire smart people and ask them what to do.” I think that kind of idea makes the job so much more fun and so much more easy. So you can be more an editor. You can be like, “We’re gonna do that. That’s a great idea, but it’s not right for this.” And then you can pick and choose the best stuff from these amazing people around you. That’s been my biggest lesson and it’s the biggest lesson I would give to any filmmaker out there. And it’s hard because, when you’re starting out, it’s all on you. You are really the only person. You don’t have much of a crew or much of a team. But as you move up, you start to surround yourself with really great, talented people. And I think that’s the key.
All right. I have time for one more question. The movie’s about to make a half billion dollars. People like it. It’s a success. I think this is your chance for your blank check. What is your blank check movie? If the studio comes to you now and says, “You made us a half billion dollars, what do you wanna make?”, what do you pitch right now? What’s your dream project?
Oh my gosh. It’s such an interesting question. I love, actually, that podcast Blank Check. I don’t know if you’re listening to that. Um, so many movies. I mean, honestly, I don’t wanna speak too soon. I basically am making my blank check movie right now. It’s the type of thing that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s “Conjuring 5.” [laughs] Just kidding. It’s not “Conjuring 5,” just a joke. I can’t say what it is because hopefully I’m shooting it at the beginning of next year.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” is available now on Digital, and it arrives on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 25, 2025.
