Yes, The Nun II Director Michael Chaves Planned That Cruel Ending [Exclusive Interview]
This post contains spoilers for "The Nun II."
It's difficult to encapsulate just how huge The Conjuring Universe truly is. The third successful horror franchise launched by James Wan (following "Insidious" and "Saw") has expanded into three distinct tracks of horror stories: "The Conjuring" films, following Ed and Lorraine Warren; the "Annabelle" films, centered on the titular doll; and "The Nun" films, centered on the demon Valak. "The Nun II" is the latest addition to the series, a massive hit at the box office and a film that laid the groundwork for what feels like the inevitable climax of the decades-spanning story. It feels like we're heading toward a final chapter like The Avengers, but with demons, possessed artifacts, and Patrick Wilson singing Elvis songs.
"The Nun II" is currently available on Digital and is coming to 4K UHD soon, and in honor of its release, I was fortunate enough to quickly chat with director Michael Chaves over Zoom about the film. Chaves is a very busy man, so despite only getting five minutes, I managed to get the details on where Easter egg-hunting fans should be looking for some connective teases to other "Conjuring" films, find out what it's like seeing so many people dress up as Valak for Halloween, and figure out if he was a big enough sicko [complimentary] to give us that beautiful ending for Maurice knowing it's going to hurt us later.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
They almost killed off Maurice early
Knowing where Maurice ends up in the timeline of The Conjuring Universe, did you intentionally make us all fall in love with him and his new family just so that it hurts more when we reach that inevitable ending?
[laughs] Yeah. That was always the plan. I mean, I think coming out of the first movie, people really love Maurice. I mean, [actor] Jonas [Bloquet] is so charming. He's just as charming in real life. As it was being developed, we discussed where in the timeline does it fit. Because, I mean, there was even an early discussion about maybe this leads right up to the exorcism.
That was something that I think we all had hesitations about. We love this character so much and audiences loved him so much. We weren't sure we wanted to kill him off. But definitely, I think building the tension and putting him with a family and having him fall in love and just having him become this father figure ... I think all of it is just more ... It just builds the angst and anxiety. You can just feel the heartbreak coming.
It's so cruel! I watched "The Nun II" with my wife who doesn't know the timeline, and she was like, "Oh, what a nice ending for him!" Meanwhile, I was screaming, "No, this is going to be so bad for him!"
I love to hear that! Honestly, I love to hear that because I wanted something that would play for both. I wanted something that if you weren't entirely sure of how it ended, that you could have one experience. Then, if you knew the timeline, you were like, "Oh, my gosh. This is not going to end well." That honestly made my day. That's great.
All the Easter eggs in The Nun II
Well, you achieved your goal! So now that the film is going to be available for people to watch at home, they now have the ability to do things like pause and go frame by frame if they so choose. Are there any scenes that people should pay extra attention to at home so they can find Easter eggs they missed in the theater?
Great question. Yeah. It's funny. I haven't been online much looking it up, so I don't know if people have caught them. There are a couple of them.
Leading up to the newsstand sequence ... It actually spells out "Valak" on the location. I had boarded it out. Then, we had to commit to, "This shot's going to be here. This shot's going to be here" in the edit. Usually, you're always playing with things in the edit. But that was one thing that I was like, "It needs to tell it in sequence. We got to get all of the letters in sequence." That was one thing.
The other thing is you get a glimpse ... I'm not going to say what or who. But when Irene is up in the air facing Valak, you get a glimpse of something.
Then, in one of the very last shots of the movie where Irene is looking at Maurice, she's holding her rosary. It echoes another image, which, if you look through the posters of the previous movies, you might be able to connect it. I haven't had anybody point that out. But I really haven't dug that much online. I'm curious if anyone actually figures that one out.
There's probably some obsessive fan somewhere who's been screaming into the void, and no one's been retweeting it for months.
You're going to validate them. This will validate them.
Seeing Valak on Halloween
[laughs] Before I go, Halloween just happened and I am chronically online. I have seen so many Valak nuns. What is it like for you as a filmmaker to see the pop culture embrace of characters that you've worked with?
It's such an honor. It's honestly so humbling. It's funny: I have a 9-year-old daughter. I was trying to convince her to dress up as the nun. She could not decide. She ended up not being the nun. But I was like, "I think it's a great costume. I think you're going to love it. It's very popular." I'm glad I was able to convince other people besides my daughter to dress up as The Nun, I guess, is my long story short. But honestly, when I see that stuff, it's the most humbling thing in the world. I know I just am one of the authors of this. I mean, James [Wan], Corin [Hardy], and Bonnie [Aarons] herself have really made that character what she is. I am so happy to be a part of that.
We should all aspire to want to be Bonnie Aarons. I agree completely, but sadly, that is my time today.
Thanks so much for the time. It was great talking to you.
"The Nun II" is available to rent or purchase on VOD and stream on Max, and it will arrive on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 14, 2023.