The final chapter of the popular horror series, The Conjuring: Last Rites, has shattered several box office records on its opening day. This film is promoted as the concluding chapter in the main series of the widely recognized universe that also encompasses the Annabelle and The Nun spinoffs.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have returned to portray their iconic roles as the dramatized versions of the real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. The premiere of The Conjuring: Last Rites was fully launched on September 5, with early showings on the night of September 4.
Warner Bros. Pictures announced that The Conjuring: Last Rites grossed $8.5 million in its Thursday night previews alone. This achievement sets a new record for the highest-grossing preview night across the nine-movie franchise and also surpasses any other horror movie preview night in the current year, outperforming major hits like Weapons, Sinners, and Final Destination Bloodlines.
Implications for The Conjuring: Last Rites
While Last Rites has outperformed all previous entries in the Conjuring series on its debut night, it’s uncertain if it will surpass the overall opening weekend record currently held by The Nun from 2018, which opened to $53.8 million. This surpassed the franchise’s earlier record of $41.8 million set by the original The Conjuring in 2013.
Success over the entire weekend isn’t assured, as horror films typically experience significant drop-offs in attendance after the opening day. Current estimates suggest that The Conjuring: Last Rites may earn between $35 and $55 million over the three-day weekend, providing a tight window to potentially overtake The Nun.
Moreover, the performance could be impacted by lukewarm reviews for The Conjuring: Last Rites, which has received a middling score of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although this score is not the lowest within the context of the series — The Nun scored only 24% — it is the lowest among the four primary Conjuring films. In comparison, the first Conjuring film received a Certified Fresh 86%, The Conjuring 2 in 2016 received 80%, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It from 2021 received 56%.
Perspectives on The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Box Office Performance
Despite the challenges, it is quite probable that The Conjuring: Last Rites will rank among the top five horror films of 2025. It only needs to surpass the $68.9 million global box office of The Monkey to do so, which is less than half of what the lowest-grossing film in the Conjuring series, The Devil Made Me Do It, earned at $206.4 million.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
