This lovely cold Los Angeles morning brought into my email some details about the upcoming release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Check the info out and I’ll give you my thoughts and theories on the tail end.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It reveals a chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
The film stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, under the direction of Michael Chaves (“The Curse of La Llorona”). The film also stars Ruairi O’Connor (Starz’ “The Spanish Princess”), Sarah Catherine Hook (Hulu’s “Monsterland”) and Julian Hilliard (the series “Penny Dreadful: city of Angels” and “The Haunting of Hill House”). The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do is produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, who have collaborated on all the “Conjuring” Universe films. Chaves directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“The Conjuring 2,” “Aquaman”), story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on characters created by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes.
This marks the seventh film in the “Conjuring” Universe, the largest horror franchise in history, which has grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide. It includes the first two “Conjuring” films, as well as “Annabelle” and “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Nun,” and “Annabelle Comes Home.”
So, as you might have guessed or heard this is based on the “Devil Made Me Do It”, trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. The backstory — the Arne Cheyenne Johnson case is the first known court case in the United States in which the defense sought to prove innocence based upon the defendant’s claim of demonic possession and denial of personal responsibility for the crime. On November 24, 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut, Johnson was convicted of first-degree manslaughter for the killing of his landlord, Alan Bono. According to testimony by the Glatzel family, 11-year-old David Glatzel had allegedly played host to the demon that forced Johnson to kill Bono. After witnessing several increasingly ominous occurrences involving David, the family, exhausted and terrified, decided to enlist the aid of self-described demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren.
It’s a little funny to me that the production company released the not exactly “new” formal details and the title card today for this film, because having very recently watched an episode of 20/20 where a husband stabbed his wife 40 times and then drowned her in the pool and blamed sleep walking for his crime, I’m leerier of the Devil Made Me Do It explanation. And, having researched a little bit of the Arne Cheyenne Johnson case, I really am side-eyeing this particular Warren investigation. However, since this is a Conjuring universe film it will most likely do an excellent job with playing to the supernatural elements of the story. I really want to see how they will tie the supposed possession of Glatzel to Johnson. Now having stated this, I am so awaiting the trailer. What are your thoughts?
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do opens in theaters and IMAX nationwide on June 4, 2021 and will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release.