The Nun (2018 film)

{{Infobox film

| image = TheNunPoster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Corin Hardy

| screenplay = Gary Dauberman

| story = {{plainlist|

James Wan
Gary Dauberman

}}

| producer = {{plainlist|

Peter Safran
James Wan

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Maxime Alexandre

| editing = {{plainlist|

Michel Aller
Ken Blackwell

}}

| music = Abel Korzeniowski

| studio = {{plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures

| released = {{film date|2018|9|4|TCL Chinese Theatre|2018|9|7|United States}}

| runtime = 96 minutes{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2018|title=The Nun (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-nun-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00odk4njc|access-date=September 19, 2024 |website=British Board of Film Classification}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $22{{nbsp}}million

| gross = $366{{nbsp}}million{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thenun.htm |title=The Nun (2018) |website=Box Office Mojo |publisher=IMDb |access-date=November 30, 2018 |archive-date=March 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323133557/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thenun.htm |url-status=live }}

}}

The Nun is a 2018 American Gothic supernatural horror film directed by Corin Hardy and written by Gary Dauberman, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan. It serves as a spiritual spin-off to The Conjuring 2 and is the fifth installment in The Conjuring shared universe. The film stars Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir and Jonas Bloquet, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as the Demon Nun, an incarnation of Valak, from The Conjuring 2. The plot follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun in her novitiate as they uncover an unholy secret in 1952 Romania. It is followed by a sequel The Nun II, released in 2023.

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema announced The Nun, a spin-off film to The Conjuring 2, which had opened five days earlier, with Peter Safran and Wan producing. The initial script for the film was written by David Leslie Johnson. Hardy had signed on to direct The Nun with a new screenplay from Wan and Dauberman. Principal photography began in May 2017 in Bucharest, Romania.

The Nun was released in the United States on September 7, 2018. It grossed $366{{nbsp}}million worldwide off a $22{{nbsp}}million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of the Conjuring series, despite the negative reviews it received from critics. In 2023, a sequel The Nun II, was released.

Plot

In 1952 Romania, two Roman Catholic nuns living at the Saint Cartha's monastery are attacked by an unseen evil force. The surviving nun, Sister Victoria, flees from the attacker, a demon appearing as a nun, and hangs herself. Her body is discovered by Frenchie, a villager who transports supplies to the nuns.

The Vatican sends Father Burke with Sister Irene, a nun in her novitiate, to Romania to investigate. The pair meets Frenchie, discovers Victoria's body, and takes a key from her corpse. They meet the Abbess inside the abbey, who informs them that the nuns observe silence during the night, so they need to return the next day. That night, Burke is rescued by Irene after being buried alive in the graveyard by the demonic entity.

Irene and Burke return to the abbey the next day, but only Irene can enter as it is cloistered. She meets the other nuns and learns that they pray constantly, swapping shifts, to keep the entity at bay. The abbey was built in the Dark Ages as a castle for the Duke of St. Carta, a mighty aristocrat obsessed with the occult. The duke summoned the demon through a rift in the catacombs but was killed by Christian knights, who sealed the rift with a vial filled with the Blood of Christ. However, the bombings during World War II reopened the rift, unleashing the entity. Through a book he saw and took after being buried alive, Burke identifies the demon as Valak and discovers the Abbess has been dead all along.

Valak attacks Irene, who joins the nuns in prayer to ward it off. When she reunites with Burke and Frenchie, she discovers that none of the nuns she had seen and talked to were real, and she had been praying alone. Sister Victoria had been the last nun in that abbey and had sacrificed herself to stop Valak from possessing her.

Theorizing that Valak can only be stopped if they seal the rift again with the blood of Christ from the reliquary, the same way the knights did, the trio retrieves the vial with Victoria's key. Irene asks Burke to elevate her status to a professed nun, which he does. In the tunnel, she is possessed by Valak, but Frenchie smears the blood of Christ on her face, casting out the demon. Valak starts to drown her in a flooded chamber. Irene, who had kept some of Christ's blood from the vial in her mouth, spits it into the demon's face, banishing it as the rift is sealed. Frenchie resuscitates Irene and reveals his real name is Maurice. Unbeknownst to the others, Valak possessed Maurice during the attack.

20 years later, at a university seminar in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Carolyn Perron watches as Ed and Lorraine Warren present footage of their attempt to exorcise a possessed older Maurice. Maurice grabs Lorraine, showing her a vision of Ed dying, which initiates the Warrens' investigation of the Perron farmhouse haunting.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Demián Bichir as Father Burke
Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene
Jonas Bloquet as Frenchie/Maurice
Bonnie Aarons as The Nun
Ingrid Bisu as Sister Oana
Charlotte Hope as Sister Victoria
Sandra Teles as Sister Ruth
Maria Obretin as Sister Abigail
August Maturo as Daniel
Jack Falk as evil Daniel
Ani Sava as Sister Jessica
Michael Smiley as Bishop Pasquale
Gabrielle Downey as the Abbess
Jared Morgan as Marquis
Manuela Ciucur as Sister Christine
Mark Steger as the Duke

}}

Additionally, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Lili Taylor appear in archive footage from The Conjuring as Ed and Lorraine Warren and Carolyn Perron, respectively.

Production

=Development=

On June 15, 2016, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema announced The Nun, a spin-off film to The Conjuring 2, which had opened five days earlier. Peter Safran and James Wan produced. The initial script for the film was written by David Leslie Johnson.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/conjuring-2-spinoff-movie-nun-903224 |title='Conjuring 2' Spinoff 'The Nun' in the Works (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=May 3, 2017 |archive-date=May 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509022930/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/conjuring-2-spinoff-movie-nun-903224 |url-status=live }} On February 17, 2017, it was announced that Corin Hardy had signed on to direct The Nun with a new screenplay from Wan and Gary Dauberman.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/conjuring-2-spinoff-the-nun-corin-hardy-direct-1201977070/ |title=Corin Hardy to Direct 'Conjuring 2' Spinoff 'The Nun' |work=Variety |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=May 3, 2017 |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702223656/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/conjuring-2-spinoff-the-nun-corin-hardy-direct-1201977070/ |url-status=live }} During the filming of Annabelle: Creation, Safran revealed that The Nun would chronologically come first in The Conjuring Universe, making it a further prequel to The Conjuring series and Annabelle series. He said, "We have a board that we created that has what we hope will ultimately be our series of movies. We have it in chronological order, so we can keep track of where it all happens."{{cite web |url=https://cinemablend.com/news/1664749/how-annabelle-creation-connects-back-to-the-first-movie |title=How Annabelle: Creation Connects Back To The First Movie |website=Cinema Blend |first=Eric |last=Eisenberg |date=May 30, 2017 |access-date=June 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607130812/http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1664749/how-annabelle-creation-connects-back-to-the-first-movie |url-status=live }}

=Casting=

On April 5, 2017, Demián Bichir was cast in the film, as a priest investigating a nun's mysterious suicide.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/demian-bichir-star-conjuring-spinoff-nun-991379 |title=Demian Bichir to Star in 'Conjuring' Spinoff 'The Nun' (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=April 5, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509123447/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/demian-bichir-star-conjuring-spinoff-nun-991379 |url-status=live }} Taissa Farmiga was cast shortly after, as a Roman Catholic nun in her novitiate.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/taissa-farmiga-demian-bechir-horror-movie-the-nun-1202393735/ |title=Taissa Farmiga to Play Titular Role in Horror Movie 'The Nun' |work=Variety |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=April 24, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2017 |archive-date=April 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424224804/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/taissa-farmiga-demian-bechir-horror-movie-the-nun-1202393735/ |url-status=live }} Corin Hardy later said that he initially did not want to cast Farmiga due to her being the sister of The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga, but changed his mind when he saw her auditions, "I watched 100 auditions for this role and she had some kind of presence outside of her own body that is evident, and she's phenomenal."{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/the-conjuring/news/a836695/corin-hardy-the-nun-casting-interview/ |title=Why Corin Hardy didn't initially want to cast Horror Story star in The Nun |website=Digital Spy |first=Ian |last=Sandwell |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830203234/http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/the-conjuring/news/a836695/corin-hardy-the-nun-casting-interview/ |url-status=live }} Bonnie Aarons was then set to reprise her role as the "Demon Nun" character Valak from The Conjuring 2.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/conjuring-2-actress-reprising-demon-nun-new-lines-nun-997909 |title='Conjuring 2' Actress Reprising Demon Nun for New Line's 'The Nun' (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=April 26, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504143051/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/conjuring-2-actress-reprising-demon-nun-new-lines-nun-997909 |url-status=live }} Charlotte Hope, Jonas Bloquet, and Ingrid Bisu were subsequently announced to star, rounding out the main cast.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/game-thrones-actor-charlotte-hope-joins-new-lines-nun-998961 |title='Game of Thrones' Actor Charlotte Hope Joins New Line's 'The Nun' (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=May 1, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506100219/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/game-thrones-actor-charlotte-hope-joins-new-lines-nun-998961 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/jonas-bloque-the-nun-new-line-1202079436/ |title=Jonas Bloquet Joins New Line's 'The Nun' |website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Amanda |last=N'Duka |date=April 28, 2017 |access-date=May 3, 2017 |archive-date=May 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502123437/http://deadline.com/2017/04/jonas-bloque-the-nun-new-line-1202079436/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/toni-erdmann-ingrid-bisu-horror-thriller-the-nun-1202408131/ |title='Toni Erdmann' Star Ingrid Bisu Joins Horror-Thriller 'The Nun' |work=Variety |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=May 3, 2017 |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613052816/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/toni-erdmann-ingrid-bisu-horror-thriller-the-nun-1202408131/ |url-status=live }}

=Filming=

Principal photography for the film began on May 3, 2017, at Castel Film Studios in Bucharest, Romania, with Maxime Alexandre serving as cinematographer.{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/conjuring-nun-movie-starts-filming/ |title=The Conjuring: Nun Spinoff Begins Filming This Week |website=Screen Rant |first=Sean |last=Cureton |date=May 1, 2017 |access-date=May 3, 2017 |archive-date=May 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501181053/http://screenrant.com/conjuring-nun-movie-starts-filming/ |url-status=live }} Film director Corin Hardy had a Roman Catholic priest bless the set prior to filming.{{cite web |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/media/one-nuns-take-horror-film-nun |title=One nun's take on horror film 'The Nun' |last=Pacatte |first=Rose |author-link=Rose Pacatte |date=September 6, 2018 |work=National Catholic Reporter |access-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906221145/https://www.ncronline.org/news/media/one-nuns-take-horror-film-nun |url-status=live }} Scenes were filmed in the Palace of the Parliament building in June, for a fee of €5,000 per hour.{{cite web |url=https://www.romania-insider.com/new-warner-bros-horror-film-shot-romanias-famous-parliaments-palace/ |title=Scenes from new Warner Bros horror film to be shot at Romania's famous Parliament's Palace |website=Romania Insider |first=Irina |last=Popescu |date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=August 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814142807/https://www.romania-insider.com/new-warner-bros-horror-film-shot-romanias-famous-parliaments-palace/ |url-status=live }} Filming also took place at the Corvin Castle in Hunedoara{{cite web |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/romania-thieves-break-into-castle-steal-40-000-1.17902503 |title=Romania: thieves break into castle, steal $40,000 |work=Times Colonist |date=May 2, 2017 |access-date=May 13, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502180913/http://www.timescolonist.com/romania-thieves-break-into-castle-steal-40-000-1.17902503 |archive-date=May 2, 2017}} and in Sighișoara, Transylvania.{{cite web |url=https://www.romania-insider.com/warner-bros-films-horror-movie-in-romania/ |title=Warner Bros films horror movie in Romania |website=Romania Insider |date=April 10, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017 |archive-date=August 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814140320/https://www.romania-insider.com/warner-bros-films-horror-movie-in-romania/ |url-status=live }} Hardy saw a handprint in the dust while filming in Mogoșoaia, which he believed to be that of a ghost.{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/25-nun-movie-facts-forbidden-13035309 |title=25 The Nun movie facts: From forbidden filming to Easter Eggs and the demon Valak |last=Rowney |first=Jo-Anne |date=August 21, 2018 |website=Daily Mirror |access-date=September 16, 2018 |archive-date=September 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916130357/https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/25-nun-movie-facts-forbidden-13035309 |url-status=live }} Hardy announced on his social media accounts that production had wrapped on June 23, 2017, after 38 days.{{cite tweet |number=877990148918566912 |title=We began filming #TheNun 37 days ago, somehow we have reached the last day, tomorrow... |user=corinhardy |first=Corin |last=Hardy |date=June 22, 2017}}

=Post-production=

The Nun reportedly went under extensive reshoots. The Curse of La Llorona cinematographer Michael Burgess had worked on the film.{{cite web |last=Marc |first=Christopher |url=https://thegww.com/annabelle-3-hires-the-curse-of-la-llorona-cinematographer-michael-burgress/ |title=Annabelle 3 Hires The Curse of La Llorona Cinematographer Michael Burgess |date=September 5, 2018 |work=GWW |access-date=October 19, 2018 |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906052700/https://thegww.com/annabelle-3-hires-the-curse-of-la-llorona-cinematographer-michael-burgress/ |url-status=live }} Wan also worked as a second unit director under Hardy.{{cite magazine |last=Collis |first=Clark |url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/08/11/the-nun-james-wan/ |title=How Aquaman director James Wan wound up helping film The Nun |date=August 11, 2018 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=October 19, 2018 |archive-date=August 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831002352/https://ew.com/movies/2018/08/11/the-nun-james-wan/ |url-status=live }}

Music

The original musical score for The Nun was composed by Abel Korzeniowski,{{cite web |url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2017/09/08/abel-korzeniowski-to-score-the-conjuring-spinoff-the-nun/#more-47430 |title=Abel Korzeniowski to Score 'The Conjuring' Spinoff 'The Nun' |website=Film Music Reporter |date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-date=August 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825220423/http://filmmusicreporter.com/2017/09/08/abel-korzeniowski-to-score-the-conjuring-spinoff-the-nun/#more-47430 |url-status=live }} and was released on August 31, 2018, by WaterTower Music.

Marketing

On June 13, 2018, a teaser trailer was released.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-nun-first-trailer-the-conjuring-watch-1202845104/ |title=First Trailer for 'The Nun' Promises Unholy Scares |work=Variety |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=June 14, 2018 |archive-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011063204/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-nun-first-trailer-the-conjuring-watch-1202845104/ |url-status=live }} In August 2018, a short advertisement for the film was removed from YouTube due to an unskippable jump scare that violated the platform's "Shocking Content" policies.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/08/14/youtube-criticized-for-showing-terrifying-horror-movie-ad-that-viewers-couldnt-click-away-from/?noredirect=on |title=YouTube criticized for showing terrifying horror movie ad that viewers couldn't click away from |last=Phillips |first=Krisitne |date=August 14, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 15, 2018 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816062043/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/08/14/youtube-criticized-for-showing-terrifying-horror-movie-ad-that-viewers-couldnt-click-away-from/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c5f3db3aa44c |url-status=live }} The studio spent an estimated $90{{nbsp}}million on prints and advertisements for the film.

Release

In August 2018, the TV Spot came out. The film was released on September 7, 2018.

Home media

The film was released on Digital HD on November 20, 2018, and on Blu-ray and DVD on December 4, 2018.{{Citation |title=The Nun Blu-ray (Blu-ray + DVD) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Nun-Blu-ray/214799/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |archive-date=2022-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904055503/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Nun-Blu-ray/214799/ |url-status=live }} On May 31, 2022, it was released alongside other The Conjuring Universe movies on Blu-ray, excluding The Curse of Llorona.{{Citation |title=The Conjuring Universe 7-Film Collection Blu-ray (The Nun / Annabelle: Creation / Annabelle / The Conjuring / Annabelle Comes Home / The Conjuring 2 / The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Conjuring-Universe-7-Film-Collection-Blu-ray/314986/ |access-date=2022-09-04 |archive-date=2022-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904055037/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Conjuring-Universe-7-Film-Collection-Blu-ray/314986/ |url-status=live }}

Reception

=Box office=

The Nun grossed $117.4{{nbsp}}million in the United States and Canada, and $248.6{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $366{{nbsp}}million, against a production budget of $22{{nbsp}}million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $155{{nbsp}}million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/best-movie-profit-2018-green-book-halloween-a-quiet-place-the-nun-crazy-rich-asians-1202589429/ |title=Small Movies, Big Profits: 2018 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |publisher=Deadline Hollywood |date=April 8, 2019 |access-date=April 8, 2019 |archive-date=August 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825021715/https://deadline.com/2019/04/best-movie-profit-2018-green-book-halloween-a-quiet-place-the-nun-crazy-rich-asians-1202589429/ |url-status=live }}

In the United States and Canada, The Nun was released alongside Peppermint and God Bless the Broken Road, and was originally projected to gross $32–37{{nbsp}}million in its opening weekend.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-nun-box-office-tracking-conjuring-1202907895/ |title='The Nun' Eyes Hefty $32{{nbsp}}Million-Plus Opening Weekend |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=August 16, 2018 |work=Variety |access-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816225517/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/the-nun-box-office-tracking-conjuring-1202907895/ |url-status=live }} By the week of its release, forecasts had been increased to $36–45{{nbsp}}million from 3,876 theaters.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-box-office-projection-jennifer-garner-peppermint-1202456596/ |title='The Nun' To Fly To $40M+, Eyes Record Opening For 'Conjuring' Franchise – Box Office Preview |website=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Business Media |date=September 4, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904230105/https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-box-office-projection-jennifer-garner-peppermint-1202456596/ |url-status=live }} It made $22.4{{nbsp}}million on its first day, including $5.4{{nbsp}}million from Thursday night previews, both the highest such numbers for The Conjuring films. It went on to debut to $53.8{{nbsp}}million, also marking the best figure of the franchise, and became the first film in almost a month to finish ahead of Crazy Rich Asians at the box office.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-weekend-box-office-conjuring-records-peppermint-jennifer-garner-1202459068/ |title='The Nun' Hits The Hallelujah With $50M Opening, Best Ever In 'Conjuring' Universe – Update |website=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Business Media |date=September 9, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=September 9, 2018 |archive-date=August 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829180028/https://deadline.com/2018/09/the-nun-weekend-box-office-conjuring-records-peppermint-jennifer-garner-1202459068/ |url-status=live }}

In other territories, it currently ranks as the highest-grossing horror film of all time in twelve markets, including Indonesia, Brazil, Romania and UAE;{{Cite web|url=http://woman.ph/the-nun-is-a-holy-terror-at-the-box-office-crossing-300-million-worldwide/|title="The Nun" is a Holy Terror at the Box Office, Crossing $300 Million Worldwide | Woman.ph|access-date=March 8, 2019|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085716/http://woman.ph/the-nun-is-a-holy-terror-at-the-box-office-crossing-300-million-worldwide/|url-status=dead}} in the Philippines, the film was the highest-grossing horror film of all time until it was surpassed by Insidious: The Red Door in 2023.{{cite news|author=INQUIRER.net BrandRoom|title='The Nun' amasses $200M worldwide, P239.8M in PH|url=https://pop.inquirer.net/62525/nun-amasses-200m-worldwide-p239-8m-ph|access-date=August 7, 2023|newspaper=InqPOP!|publisher=INQUIRER.net|date=September 18, 2018|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918064958/https://pop.inquirer.net/62525/nun-amasses-200m-worldwide-p239-8m-ph|url-status=live|quote=...[The Nun{{'}}s] cumulative gross has reached a staggering P239.8-M, after only nine days.}}{{cite news|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|title='Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' Lights Fuse With $235M Global Bow; 'Elemental', 'Indy 5' & 'Insidious' Hit New Milestones – International Box Office|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-opening-china-global-international-box-office-1235438237/|access-date=July 28, 2023|work=Deadline|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=July 16, 2023|quote=...Insidious: The Red Door is having a white-hot run in Southeast Asia, having become the highest grossing horror movie of all time in the Philippines with a $6M cume there.|archive-date=July 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728064856/https://deadline.com/2023/07/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-opening-china-global-international-box-office-1235438237/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|title='Barbie' An Even Bigger Knockout With $356M+ Global Bow, 'Oppenheimer' Increases Genius To $180M+ WW Launch – International Box Office Actuals Update|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/barbie-oppenheimer-barbenheimer-christopher-nolan-cillian-murphy-margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-gloabl-international-box-office-1235443180/|access-date=July 28, 2023|work=Deadline|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=July 24, 2023|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726083458/https://deadline.com/2023/07/barbie-oppenheimer-barbenheimer-christopher-nolan-cillian-murphy-margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-gloabl-international-box-office-1235443180/|url-status=live}}

=Critical response=

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|24|4.4|209|The Nun boasts strong performances, spooky atmospherics, and a couple decent set-pieces, but its sins include inconsistent logic and narrative slackness.|access-date=September 19, 2024|ref=y}}{{cbignore}} {{Metacritic film prose|46|32|ref=yes|access-date=September 19, 2024}}{{cbignore}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale, the lowest of the series.

Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times criticized a lack of consistent narrative logic.{{Cite news |last=Kenigsberg |first=Ben |date=2018-09-05 |title=Review: In 'The Nun,' a Franchise Resumes Its Scary Habits |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/movies/the-nun-review.html |access-date=2022-10-15 |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Specters and hallucinations appear without consistent narrative logic. |archive-date=2022-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015214115/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/movies/the-nun-review.html |url-status=live }} Donald Clarke of The Irish Times wrote, "To compare it to a ghost train would be to understate the narrative cohesion that habitually governs those seaside entertainments."{{Cite news |last=Clarke |first=Donald |date=September 7, 2018 |title=The Nun: stupid, confusing and scary – but not sexy |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-nun-stupid-confusing-and-scary-but-not-sexy-1.3620621 |access-date=2022-10-15 |newspaper=The Irish Times |archive-date=2022-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015214112/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-nun-stupid-confusing-and-scary-but-not-sexy-1.3620621 |url-status=live }} Matthew Rozsa for Salon said, "By overly relying on jump scares, The Nun uses a mechanical approach toward instilling fear rather than a more profound understanding of terror."{{Cite web |last=Rozsa |first=Matthew |date=2018-09-22 |title=Why is a mediocre movie like "The Nun" such a hit? |url=https://www.salon.com/2018/09/22/why-is-a-mediocre-movie-like-the-nun-such-a-hit/ |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=Salon |archive-date=2022-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010140905/https://www.salon.com/2018/09/22/why-is-a-mediocre-movie-like-the-nun-such-a-hit/ |url-status=live }} Writing for The A.V. Club, Katie Rife compared it to Gothic horror by Mario Bava and Hammer Films, praising the "giddiness" but criticizing the "heavy-handed" exposition and lack of suspense.{{Cite web |last=Rife |first=Katie |date=2018-09-06 |title=The Nun is loud, lurid, and more than a little silly—and that's what makes it fun |url=https://www.avclub.com/loud-lurid-and-frequently-silly-the-nun-isnt-a-good-1828867942 |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=The A.V. Club |archive-date=2022-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015214112/https://www.avclub.com/loud-lurid-and-frequently-silly-the-nun-isnt-a-good-1828867942 |url-status=live }}

The Plugged In (publication) review for the film summarized the spirituality evident in the film: "Evil is real, the movie tells us, but so is God. Spiritual trappings are everywhere. And when in doubt or danger, you can't go wrong with a little prayer."{{cite web |url=https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/nun-2018 |title=The Nun Movie Review |last=Asay |first=Paul |date=September 7, 2018 |website=Plugged In (publication) |access-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915122158/https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/nun-2018 |url-status=live }} In her review of the film published in the National Catholic Reporter, Sr. Rose Pacatte, a nun belonging to the Daughters of St. Paul, stated "that there are two Catholic theological aspects of this film that are accurate: one is that the devil exists, and the other is that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, will show us the way." Another religious sister, Nicole Reich, stated in her review of the film published on Syfy Wire that if Valak was a real demon, he would never be able to reveal himself while the "sisters were in perpetual adoration ... because the Lord was present".{{cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/real-nuns-review-the-nun |title=Nuns review The Nun |last=Busch |first=Caitlin |date=September 12, 2018 |website=Syfy Wire |access-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915154944/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/real-nuns-review-the-nun |url-status=dead }}

Sequel

In August 2017, Wan discussed the possibility of a Nun sequel and what its storyline might entail: "I do know where potentially, if The Nun works out, where The Nun 2 could lead to and how that ties back to Lorraine's story that we've set up with the first two Conjurings and make it all come full circle."{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/the-nun-movie-conjuring-connections-sequel-plans/ |title=James Wan Teases The Nun And How A Sequel Would Connect To The Conjuring |website=Screen Rant |first=Timothy |last=Lammers |date=August 12, 2017 |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055927/https://screenrant.com/the-nun-movie-conjuring-connections-sequel-plans/ |url-status=live }}

In April 2019, it was announced by Peter Safran that a sequel was in development. He stated there was a "really fun" storyline planned for the film,{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/nun-conjuring-movie-sequel-story/ |title=The Nun 2 is Being Developed, Has a 'Really Fun' Story |website=Screen Rant |first=Sandy |last=Schaefer |date=April 10, 2019 |access-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411122012/https://screenrant.com/nun-conjuring-movie-sequel-story/ |url-status=live }} and commented that there was an "inevitability to another The Nun movie".{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/2019/04/10/the-nun-2-conjuring-producer/ |title=Conjuring producer talks The Nun sequel: 'We have a really fun storyline' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Clark |last=Collis |date=April 10, 2019 |access-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411055556/https://ew.com/movies/2019/04/10/the-nun-2-conjuring-producer/ |url-status=live }} Later that month, Akela Cooper signed onto the project as screenwriter, while Safran and James Wan will serve as producers.{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/the-nun-sequel-akela-cooper-screenwriter-the-conjuring-new-line-warner-bros-james-wan-atomic-monster-1202596215/ |title=The Nun Sequel Sets Luke Cage{{'}}s Akela Cooper As Screenwriter |last=Ramos |first=Dino-Ray |work=Deadline |date=April 15, 2019 |access-date=April 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415211045/https://deadline.com/2019/04/the-nun-sequel-akela-cooper-screenwriter-the-conjuring-new-line-warner-bros-james-wan-atomic-monster-1202596215/ |archive-date=April 15, 2019 |url-status=live}}

On April 26, 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures officially announced the movie as a part of its upcoming slate at the 2022 CinemaCon.{{cite web |author=Squires, John |date=April 26, 2022 |title='The Nun 2' Confirmed for Upcoming Warner Bros. Slate |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3712564/the-nun-2-confirmed-for-upcoming-warner-bros-slate/ |work=Bloody Disgusting |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604185637/https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3712564/the-nun-2-confirmed-for-upcoming-warner-bros-slate/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-27 |title='The Nun 2' Featured in Sizzle Reel at Warner Bros. CinemaCon Panel |url=https://collider.com/the-nun-2-in-development-cinemacon-conjuring-warner-bros/ |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=Collider |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427041859/https://collider.com/the-nun-2-in-development-cinemacon-conjuring-warner-bros/ |url-status=live }} The following day, it was announced that Michael Chaves will direct the film.{{cite web |author=Miska, Brad |date=April 27, 2022 |title='The Nun 2' – New Line Prays for a Director and Gets Michael Chaves! [Exclusive] |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3712642/the-nun-2-new-line-prays-for-director-michael-chaves/ |work=Bloody Disgusting |access-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-date=June 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609183714/https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3712642/the-nun-2-new-line-prays-for-director-michael-chaves/ |url-status=live }} Principal photography began on April 29, 2022.{{Cite web |title=The Nun 2 Confirms Production Start and Director |url=https://comicbook.com/horror/news/the-nun-2-confirms-production-start-and-director/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=comicbook.com |archive-date=2022-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429162420/https://comicbook.com/horror/amp/news/the-nun-2-confirms-production-start-and-director/ |url-status=live }} Bonnie Aarons was confirmed to be reprising her role as Valak.{{Cite web |last=Squires |first=John |date=2022-04-29 |title='The Nun 2' – Bonnie Aarons is Back in the Habit for Upcoming Sequel |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3713019/the-nun-2-bonnie-aarons-is-back-in-the-habit-for-upcoming-sequel/ |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429191922/https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3713019/the-nun-2-bonnie-aarons-is-back-in-the-habit-for-upcoming-sequel/ |url-status=live }}

On September 8, 2023, the film was released.{{Cite news |last=Shaffer |first=Claire |date=2023-09-07 |title='The Nun II' Review: Back in the Habit |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/movies/the-nun-ii-review-sequel.html |access-date=2023-09-08 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909221838/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/movies/the-nun-ii-review-sequel.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=2023-09-07 |title='The Nun II' Review: Habit-Forming Ghoul Returns in a Diverting Sequel |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-nun-2-review-1235715650/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908154541/https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-nun-2-review-1235715650/ |url-status=live }}