The LaLaurie Mansion: Darren Lynn Bousman & The Conjuring writers team up

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes had great success when they teamed up with Saw director James Wan on the supernatural horror film The Conjuring, and now they're teaming up with Saw II – IV (and Spiral: From the Book of Saw) director Darren Lynn Bousman for another supernatural horror project, The LaLaurie Mansion. Everyone involved is hoping this will be a franchise starter, just like The Conjuring was.

The LaLaurie Mansion is a property in New Orleans that was 

made infamous by its resident Madame Lalaurie, a New Orleans socialite and serial killer who tortured and murdered numerous slaves there in the early 1800s. After her crimes were exposed following a house fire in 1834, she fled the city and was never arrested. Thousands of tourists still travel to the city every year to visit the property.

The stories in the proposed franchise will unfold in multiple instalments covering the history of the house from recent events back to the origins of the house’s history and its sinister owner.

The Hayes brothers wrote the script while staying at the LaLaurie Mansion, which was apparently owned by Nicolas Cage at one point. The property is now owned by Michael Whalen, a partner and collaborator with the film's producers at Faster Horse Pictures.

Financing has been secured and studio and streamer interest in The LaLaurie Mansion is said to be high. The plan is to get this film, which will be set in present day, into production by the end of the year.

Bousman had this to say about the project: 

Joining this project is a dream come true for me. For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with the paranormal. Anyone who studies the supernatural knows the legends and lore of the LaLaurie Mansion. It’s the holy grail of these types of environments. Recently I was allowed access to the house, and was able to stay there with the Hayes brothers. There is no way to articulate my 72 hours inside those walls. The house consumes you. Its history cripples you. The Hayes Brothers have crafted such an emotional, suspenseful, and scary narrative that I cannot wait to introduce the world to this unbelievable location."

The Hayes brothers added: 

Not only is Darren an incredibly creative director, but he also knows how to build a franchise. We are beyond thrilled to have him on this one, and can’t wait to see what he brings to the screen."

Whalen and the Hayes brothers are producing The LaLaurie Mansion with Cindy Bond and Doug McKay. Joshua Ryan Dietz and Dylan Bond serve as executive producers. Local historian Andrew Ward is on board as a consultant.