University of Hertfordshire Research Archive

        JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

        Browse

        All of UHRABy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitles

        Arkivum Files

        My Downloads
        View Item 
        • UHRA Home
        • University of Hertfordshire
        • Research publications
        • View Item
        • UHRA Home
        • University of Hertfordshire
        • Research publications
        • View Item

        Conjuring a Universe: James Wan, Creepy Dolls and Demon Nuns

        View/Open
        Final Published version (PDF, 1Mb)
        Final Published version (PDF, 271Kb)
        Author
        Mee, Laura
        Attention
        2299/25424
        Abstract
        The Conjuring franchise has dominated mainstream horror cinema in the twenty-first century. The success of The Conjuring inspired sequels and spin-offs (Annabelle and The Nun), each beginning further franchise strands. Annabelle: Creation tipped the franchise’s box office returns over $1billion, making it the third most successful horror series of all time and “a full-blown cinematic universe that any studio would envy” (Mendelson). At the universe’s centre is writer/producer/director James Wan, whose reputation has shifted from an uncomfortable association with “splat pack” horror as co-creator of the Saw series, to a blockbuster horror auteur (Bernard). Wan’s particular brand of contemporary Gothic, favouring demonic possession and haunted houses over shock and gore, connects the Conjuring franchise with other films including Insidious and Lights Out, and his involvement is promoted with each new instalment, anchoring every film to his original. This article charts the expansion of The Conjuring series, examining how its connected characters, narratives and aesthetics contribute to a worldbuilding approach which builds on its popular origins by way of Wan's status. This contemporary horror universe is marketed as a complex, evolving auterist creation weaved from a single, central source—and is deliberately distanced from the idea of a calculated, producer-led franchise.
        Publication date
        2021-11-03
        Published in
        Quarterly Review of Film and Video
        Published version
        https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2021.1996311
        License
        http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
        Other links
        http://hdl.handle.net/2299/25424
        Relations
        School of Creative Arts
        Metadata
        Show full item record
        Keep in touch

        © 2019 University of Hertfordshire

        I want to...

        • Apply for a course
        • Download a Prospectus
        • Find a job at the University
        • Make a complaint
        • Contact the Press Office

        Go to...

        • Accommodation booking
        • Your student record
        • Bayfordbury
        • KASPAR
        • UH Arts

        The small print

        • Terms of use
        • Privacy and cookies
        • Criminal Finances Act 2017
        • Modern Slavery Act 2015
        • Sitemap

        Find/Contact us

        • T: +44 (0)1707 284000
        • E: ask@herts.ac.uk
        • Where to find us
        • Parking
        • hr
        • qaa
        • stonewall
        • AMBA
        • ECU Race Charter
        • disability confident
        • AthenaSwan