Taissa Farmiga's older sister Vera Farmiga starred in THE CONJURING and THE CONJURING 2 as Lorraine Warren, and you would assume that having a family member involved in the horror franchise would provide a perfect way to get your foot in the door. According to Entertainment Weekly, that assumption would be wrong, as Taissa Farmiga had to fight to land the role of Sister Irene in THE NUN, an upcoming CONJURING spin-off.
THE NUN director Corin Hardy was quite reluctant to even consider casting Taissa Farmiga in the film, but as we know, Farmiga got the gig and Corin Hardy made sure to let the actress know of his initial reluctance. "He did mention that about a month into filming," said Taissa. "He didn’t want it to be the easy solution: ‘Taissa is Vera’s younger sister; she can do it!’ I had to go in and audition and fight for my part." Hardy explained that casting Vera Farmiga's sister felt like too much of an obvious choice.
Like, I’ve got the job, and I’m like, ‘Oh, who’s out there? Oh, we’ll get her sister! She could do a good job!’ I knew that Taissa had auditioned, but I almost didn’t immediately watch her [tape], because we were looking for maybe a European actress to play the role, or an English actress, and there were some really fantastic, strong auditions. Then I sat down, and put Taissa on, and she was just captivating in such a unique way that you look for when you’re trying to cast your movie and find special people. It finished and I was like, ‘Okay, no one else can have this role except for her.'
Taissa Farmiga spoke about her character in THE NUN, who she said had a "difficult and isolating childhood. She experienced these visions that set her apart from her peers and eventually led her to a life in the church." Along with with Father Burke (Demián Bichir), the pair are tasked by the Vatican to investigate a mysterious death at an abbey in Romania where "there’s some sort of presence that shouldn’t be there."
The official synopsis for THE NUN:
When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order’s unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in “The Conjuring 2,” as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned.
THE NUN is set for a September 7, 2018 release.