After more than a decade, audiences are preparing to say goodbye to one ofHollywood’s most successful franchiseswithThe Conjuring: Last Rites. Very loosely based onthe supposed real-life investigationsof demonologistsEdandLorraine Warren(played on screen byPatrick WilsonandVera Farmiga),James Wanand his creative partnersmanaged to create one of the most effective and belovedcinematic universesof all time, thanks to its interpretation of the Warrens and, of course, its iconic demons. From Annabelle to the Nun (Bonnie Aarons),each of the franchise’s foes has had a certain number of liberties taken with their stories.While Annabelle’s involvement inThe Conjuringis largely verbatim to the real Warren’s claims, her design and backstory were completely invented for the franchise. Likewise, the Demon Nun was crafted from a myriad of stories.
Thanks to the recently releasedtrailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites, we already know of a few liberties that have been cinematically applied tothe alleged Smurl family haunting. The trailer revealed that the final film’s demon is not a new foe, but one the fictional Warrens have faced before. Additionally, the trailer hinted that Annabelle will be involved in some way. However,the most interesting change has nothing to do with the supernatural, but rather the expanded role of Judy Warren(Mia Tomlinson). While Judy’s role throughout the franchise has always been exaggerated, this take on the character is completely different from that of her real-life counterpart.
Judy Will Be More Involved in Her Parents’ Work in ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
Audiences were first introduced to Judy as a character back in the firstConjuring(then played by a youngSterling Jerins). Despite her limited screen time in the first film,she is the heart of the movie for Ed and Lorraine, with the mere mention of her motivating them to help the Perron family. She is so important to their arcs thatthe film’s villain, Bathsheba Sherman (Joseph Bishara), even attempts to kill her. However, after the first film, Judy’s role was largely reduced from supporting to (many times) featured.
The spin-off picture,Annabelle Comes Home, promoted Judy to a leading role (withMcKenna Gracetemporarily taking over the part), and revealed that fictional Judy has inherited her mother’s psychic abilities. However,Last Ritesinvolves Judy in a way we’ve never seen before. She, along with fiancé, Tony (Ben Hardy), is set to join Ed and Lorraine as they investigate the Smurl haunting. It’s certainly a natural progression, especially when we consider that Warner Bros. has hinted ata potential creative reboot for the series following this chapter. However, it may very well be the series’s most blatant fiction yet.
The Real Judy Warren Has No Interest in the Supernatural
Movie Judy may be ready to follow in her parents’ footsteps, but the same cannot be said forJudy Spera, her real-life counterpart. Not only was Spera absent from the allegedSmurl family haunting, but she has also been vocal about her resistance to a career in supernatural investigation. According to an interview withDen of Geek, Spera has harbored a lifelong fear of the paranormal, telling the publication, “I don’t pursue it. I back away from it.” Additionally, she is reluctant to even acknowledge her own alleged potential psychic abilities. “I had things happen that I’ll say, ‘Oh, my gosh. How did that happen?’ I don’t know if you want to attribute it to anything to do with my mother’s gifts, but I have had some things happen.” Regardless of whether or not these claims are to be believed,her upcoming portrayal as aparanormal investigatoris completely fictional.There is, of course, nothing wrong with this. After all,Spera told ComicBook.comthat she is fond of how the films keep her parents’ legacy alive, and such changes have always been key tocreating satisfying narratives within these films. And, to be fair, she hasalwaysshared little with her on-screen counterpart.
‘The Conjuring’s Judy Has Always Been Different When Compared to Reality
From the beginning,The Conjuring Universe has always approached Judy with a heavy sense of fiction. Whilethe first film is still a horror masterpiece, it became clear immediately that the character shared very little with the real Judy outside of her name. For example,the Perron hauntingis supposed to have taken place in 1971, and the film presents Judy as a rather young child during this period. However, Judy was roughly 25 years old at the time. Her son,Chris McKinnell(who, now, conducts supernatural research of his own according toThe Warren Legacy Foundation) was also already born at this point. As forAnnabelle Comes Home’s portrayal of Judy facing off with the titular doll, this is also completely fictional. As stated byUSA Today, Spera has spent very little time around the doll, as a warning from her mother made her fearful of the doll that inspired the films, as well as the other supposedly haunted properties inthe Warren’s Occult Museum. So, while the upcoming film’s inclusion of Judy in the Smurl investigation may seem like a jarring invention,the series has always taken great liberties with the Warrens’ daughter, and it does ultimately bring the character arcs full circle.
As we prepare to say goodbye toThe Conjuringfranchise, it’s exciting to know that many of the characters we’ve known and loved will get their “curtain call” of sorts. While Judy Spera may not have been involved in the Smurl investigation as the movie claims, it’s important to remember that the films have always taken liberties, both in regard to the supernatural and the Warrens themselves. Thus, bringing the whole family together for a final investigation does have its merits and ultimately sets the film up for a stronger conclusion. The real Judy may have avoided following in her parents’ footsteps, but given her approval of the series as a whole and the franchise’s focus on family, we’re excited to see what lies ahead for Judy when the movie is released this fall.
The Conjuring: Last Riteswill haunt theaters on July 28, 2025.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
