The latest installment in the blockbuster horror franchise, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’, has stormed the box office, delivering a colossal $83 million opening weekend and instantly claiming the title of the month’s top-grossing movie. The film, released on Friday, September 5, 2025, not only shattered expectations but also set a new benchmark for the entire Conjuring universe and reinforced the enduring power of the horror genre in the current movie landscape.
This impressive domestic debut of $83 million has positioned ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ as the Conjuring franchise’s most successful opening weekend ever, surpassing the previous record held by ‘The Nun’ in 2018. Globally, the film has already amassed an astounding $187 million, with $104 million coming from international markets. This performance makes it the third-highest domestic opening for a horror movie in history, trailing only ‘It’ and ‘It: Chapter Two’, and solidifies horror as the third-largest genre of 2025, having already surpassed $1 billion in domestic earnings.
Directed by Michael Chaves and produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ is the ninth film in the expansive Conjuring Universe. It draws its terrifying narrative from the infamous true-life Smurl haunting, which terrorized a Pennsylvania family in the 1980s. The film sees the return of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, marking what is widely expected to be their final outing in the series. The new movie delves into one of the Warrens’ most challenging and publicized cases, where they confronted a demonic presence allegedly responsible for years of torment, including physical assaults and supernatural disturbances within the Smurl household.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ opening success is a significant win for Warner Bros. Pictures, marking their seventh consecutive film to debut with over $40 million domestically and their eighth number-one opening of the year. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, with a 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film resonated strongly with audiences, earning a B CinemaScore and a 3.5/5 from PostTrak, demonstrating the franchise’s consistent ability to draw a dedicated fanbase. The film’s reported budget of $55 million further amplifies its box office triumph.
The strong performance of ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ highlights a robust September movie slate that offers a diverse range of releases. While no single film has emerged to dominate the month in the way some previous years have seen, the overall market is showing resilience. Notably, Disney’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ remake, which arrived on Disney+ on September 3, has quickly become a massive streaming hit after a stellar theatrical run, grossing over $1 billion worldwide and topping streaming charts globally. Meanwhile, the reboot of the comedy classic ‘The Naked Gun’, starring Liam Neeson, made its digital release on September 2, following its August theatrical debut, offering a different kind of entertainment option.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ performance signals a trending upward for horror films in 2025, a genre that has consistently delivered strong financial results. The film’s success not only closes out a significant chapter for the Warrens’ story but also reaffirms the Conjuring Universe’s status as the highest-grossing horror franchise in history. As the month progresses, the moviegoing audience has a variety of choices, from supernatural scares to family-friendly adventures and comedic revivals, showcasing a dynamic period for film releases and news across the entertainment industry.
