Horror fans, you can now smile with anticipation: The third installment in The Conjuring series is going into production. David Leslie Johnson, who co-wrote the second Conjuring film, has been hired by New Line to tackle the script for the next entry.

This time around, though, the story will take its protagonists somewhere different. For the first time, a Conjuring movie won't take place in a haunted house.

Exactly what the new location/concept will be is still a mystery, though the filmmakers are eager for a fresh start. As producer Peter Safran told CinemaBlend, "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."

Viewers first entered the dark world of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in 2013's The Conjuring, which was a huge hit: It set the record for the biggest opening weekend ever for a non-sequel horror film. In the forthcoming third tale, Johnson will once again adapt one of the Warrens' true-life case files. (There is some doubt about the truth of these case files, but really, as long as the movies are scary, who cares?)

James Wan, who directed the first two films in the franchise, will return to produce, though it's likely that his duties on Aquaman will prevent him from sitting in the director's chair again. New Line has yet to announce a list of potential replacements.

The first Conjuring's success led to 2014's spin-off Annabelle, about a possessed doll featured in the Warrens' home. In 2016 The Conjuring 2 hit theaters. Both films were box office hits on (relatively) small budgets—especially Annabelle, which cost only $6.5 million to make but grossed more than $250 million worldwide.

Now, Annabelle is getting its own sequel, as what the studio is calling "The Conjuring Universe" expands. Annabelle: Creation will delve into the origin of the demonic doll, opening in theaters later this summer.

Meanwhile, two different characters from the The Conjuring 2 are getting their own spin-offs as well. First comes The Nun, based on the big, demonic villain who terrorized the Warrens.

Conjuring 2 nun painting
New Line
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After that we'll see The Crooked Man, about a presumably demonic creature with back problems who's based on a creepy nursery rhyme:

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Viewers will recall him from this chilling scene:

No release date is set for The Conjuring 3, but clearly fans of the franchise — sorry, universe — will have plenty of spine-tingling experiences to fill the time until it reaches the big screen.

And if that's not enough, horror lovers should keep in mind that IT comes out in just three short months.

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