‘The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ is the fourth and final installment in the beloved horror franchise that has scared the hell out of audiences since 2013. Directed by Michael Chaves and produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, the movie is being hyped as a hauntingly emotional farewell to Ed and Lorraine Warren’s cinematic journey.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have played Ed and Lorraine, respectively, since ‘The Conjuring‘ premiered in 2013. And for this final outing, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ is pulling from one of the real couple’s most controversial and terrifying cases – the infamous Smurl family haunting.
The Real Story Behind ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
This real incident occurred in the middle of the 1980s in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. In 1976, the seemingly normal couple Jack and Janet Smurl moved into a quiet duplex with their two kids. Later, they had twin girls. For almost a decade, things were perfectly normal. By 1985, the peace was shattered in the most sinister way imaginable.
Related: ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Was Planned Like An Avengers-Level Showdown
It started with little things, a ceiling light randomly crashing down and injuring their daughter, Shannon. But that was just the beginning. Over the following months, the Smurl household descended into a terrifying realm of chaos. The family’s dog was allegedly thrown against the wall, children were pushed downstairs, and a persistent presence seemed to linger in every corner of the home.
The most disturbing claim came from Jack himself. He said he was sexually assaulted by a demonic entity. “Up until a year ago, I thought that these type of things only happened in movies,” Jack told Lorraine in a 1986 interview. “And I always felt, of course, that movies were, you know, always overstated to begin with, so I wasn’t really a believer.”
Ed And Lorraine Warren’s Investigations
The Smurls revealed their story to the world after going through almost 2 years of unexplainable horrors and unsuccessful exorcism efforts by local pastors. Their horrifying story made headlines around the country, appearing in tabloids, newspapers, and even Larry King Live and Entertainment Tonight. The attention caught the eye of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who promptly stepped in to help.
Upon entering the home, Ed immediately sensed a chilling presence. He later described a dramatic drop in temperature and a black mass manifesting before his eyes. “I did not have to wait moments when the very thing I felt was a drop in temperature of at least 30-some degrees,” he told the Times Leader. “Then, a dark mass formed about three feet in front of me. There was a sound in back of me, I could hear rattling around.”
In case you missed it: ‘The Conjuring’ Universe: All Movies Ranked
According to the Warrens, the house was overrun. They identified four entities: an old woman, a possibly malevolent young girl, a spectral man, and a highly powerful demonic force. These spirits were deliberately torturing the Smurls in an attempt to shatter them both spiritually and mentally. Despite holy water, crucifixes, and prayers, the dark energy fought back. After every visit, Lorraine was said to be exhausted and overwhelmed. However, it wasn’t the Warrens who ultimately cleansed the home of its evil.
A local priest, Rev. Joseph Adonizio, later claimed that “intense prayers” were what “chased the foul smells and violent demons from the West Pittston home,” as he told the Times Leader in October 1986. Eventually, the Smurls and the Warrens co-authored a book detailing the entire harrowing ordeal. Titled ‘The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare‘, it was published in 1986 and helped bring even more attention to the case.
Where Is The Smurl Family Now?
In 1987, Janet Smurl informed the Times Leader that she could still hear a pounding at the home and occasionally saw shadows that she couldn’t explain. In 1988, the Smurls relocated to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Their story remained famous in paranormal circles even after they moved away.
Unfortunately, Jack Smurl died in 2017 due to complications from diabetes. Carin, his daughter, made the decision to make their traumatic past into a mission. She became a paranormal investigator, aiming to help other families. “We had such a hard time and nobody to turn to,” she told the Pocono Record. “He was happy I was a voice out there for people who need help.”
Interestingly, after the Smurls moved out, the new tenants of the allegedly haunted house reported no paranormal activity at all. Some say the demon may have been tied specifically to the Smurl family, others think it might just be biding its time.
A Final Chapter Of ‘The Conjuring’ Universe Worth Screaming For
As Ed and Lorraine Warren’s cinematic departure, ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ promises to be a heartbreaking and horrific farewell tto one of horror’s most beloved franchises. Elliot Cowan and Rebecca Calder will play Janet and Jack Smurl, respectively.
The actor Patrick Wilson said that he didn’t want his character (Ed Warren) to be “on death’s door” for the final movie, considering that the real-life Ed didn’t die until 2006. “But retirement was interesting to me,” Wilson said in a May 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It was important to show the skeptics. We’re not in the middle of Amityville, when [hauntings were] everywhere. What is it like when they’re not playing to big crowds? What does that do to them?“
Related: ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Can Bring These Terrifying Real Stories To Screen
Executive producer Peter Safran told EW that the Smurl Family case had “percolated on a regular basis” as a potential plotline since the beginning of the franchise, as it’s “one of the more Googleable ones.”
“We’ve known about this one for a long time,” Wilson said. “Then writers are playing around with how it affects the family and what’s going on in the family’s life. That’s where we can really theatricalize it. We’re not making a documentary.”
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ is releasing on 5th September 2025, only in theaters.
