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James Wan says 'Crooked Man' spinoff movie 'isn't happening' for 'The Conjuring' franchise
The Crooked Man will not get his own crooked movie after all.
The Conjuring franchise is still alive and well, with a second film in The Nun spinoff series on the way and a fourth film in the main story reportedly in development. But not every offshoot of the mega-successful horror saga can live to see the light of day, and unfortunately that means The Crooked Man is dead. For now.
In a post on his Instagram page this week, Conjuring director and producer James Wan posted a series of throwback photos from the set of The Conjuring 2, showcasing the costume and character work of The Crooked Man, an evil figure from the film played by Javier Botet. Inspired by the traditional English nursery rhyme "There Was a Crooked Man," the character appeared through an apparently haunted zoetrope which tormented the children of the Hodgson family during their haunting in Enfield, England. His distinctive movements and gangly figure (which, Wan emphasized, were not CGI) made him one of the most terrifying parts of the film, and in 2017, a spinoff film starring the character was announced. Five years later, it's apparently no longer in development.
"And no, unfortunately the spin-off movie with this character isn’t happening," Wan wrote. "Outside of my control. But maybe one day."
The Crooked Man film was announced just days after The Conjuring 2's big theatrical debut, and came at a time when the franchise was red hot thanks to the success of both the first film and the first spinoff, the haunted doll movie Annabelle. In the years since, two more Annabelle films have followed, as well as a spinoff centered on the demonic nun from The Conjuring 2 titled simply The Nun, and fellow spinoff movie The Curse of La Llorona. The Crooked Man would've been the next phase of this ambitious piece of universe-building, but for now at least, it seems the creature will have to wait to make his next appearance elsewhere.
That, of course, doesn't mean The Conjuring franchise is dead, or even slowing down. The long-awaited The Nun 2 is gearing up for a 2023 release date, while The Conjuring 4 will reunite stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga for yet another supernatural adventurer as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Looking for more horror action? Check out SYFY's Reginald the Vampire, which airs Wednesday nights on SYFY alongside new episodes of Chucky.
