After directing both THE CONJURING and THE CONJURING 2, it seems that James Wan will be stepping aside to allow some fresh blood to tackle the third film as THR has reported that Michael Chaves (THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA) will be helming THE CONJURING 3.
This news doesn't come as a huge surprise as previous reports had stated that James Wan likely wouldn't direct the sequel, but his touch will certainly be missed. James Wan served as a producer on Michael Chaves' THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA, and will also serve as a producer on THE CONJURING 3, and said the following in a statement: "While working closely with Chaves on The Curse of La Llorona, I got to know him as a filmmaker. Chaves’ ability to bring emotion to a story, and his understanding of mood and scares make him a perfect fit to direct the next Conjuring film." As for Michael Chaves, he said that he's a "huge fan of the Conjuring films," adding that "the movies are the rare combination that deliver both tremendous heart and awesome scares. It is both a total thrill and absolute honor to be working with James and the gang at New Line again."
Not much is known about THE CONJURING 3 at this point, other than it will revolve around paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), but while speaking with our own JimmyO last year, producer Peter Safran said that the plot probably won't revolve around another supernatural possession.
There are some [cases] that maybe aren't as well known, but they spent a fair bit of time researching and were part of [them]. Clearly, we can't do another haunted house movie, right? We can't do another supernatural possession in a house, with a family in peril. Right? So, it's got to be something different than that, I think. There are a lot of places to go, and there's a fair bit of material there.
THE CURSE OF LLORONA stars Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Raymond Cruz and is based upon the Mexican folklore legend of La Llorona, a woman who drowned her two children and then killed herself after discovering her husband cheating. Forced to wander the Earth for all eternity, La Llorona is cursed to kidnap children and kill them in order to replace her own. Linda Cardellini stars as a social worker who ignores the eerie warning of a troubled mother and finds her family drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona's deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest (Cruz) and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide. THE CURSE OF LA LLORNA will hit theaters on April 19, 2019.