Horror aficionados are no doubt looking for the next big scary movie and ‘The Nun’, which is set for release in Ireland in early September, is hoping to be just that.

‘The Nun’ is a spin-off of 2016's ‘The Conjuring 2’ and the fifth installment of ‘The Conjuring’ franchise.

If you’re unfamiliar with the series, here we break it down for you so you can watch the latest chapter all caught up.

 

What is ‘The Conjuring’ series and where does ‘The Nun’ fit into it?

The first two ‘Conjuring’ movies, released in 2013 and 2016, follow a couple named Ed and Lorraine Warren who are paranormal investigators, trying to help people possessed by demonic spirits.

The spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens come across, and have so far consisted of ‘Annabelle’ (2014) and last year’s ‘Annabelle: Creation’. The two films focus on a demonic doll that the Warrens come into contact with at the end of ‘The Conjuring.’

The demon nun, aka Valak, was a character who was introduced in ‘The Conjuring 2’ and made a cameo in ‘Annabelle: Creation’ before now getting her own movie.

 

What’s ‘The Nun’ about?

Set in 1952, before ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Annabelle’ (but after ‘Annabelle: Creation’), the plot synopsis for ‘The Nun’ via Warner Bros. reads:

“When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order’s unholy secret.

“Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in “The Conjuring 2,” as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned.”

 

Who are the cast and crew behind it?

Mexican actor Demián Bichir plays Father Burke in the film. The actor’s credits include ‘The Hateful Eight,’ ‘Machete Kills and ‘A Better Life’, the latter for which he earned a Best Actor Oscar nod. Bonnie Aarons returns to the role of the Demon Nun, having debuted the role in ‘The Conjuring 2’ and cameoed in ‘Annabelle: Creation.’

‘American Horror Story’ regular Taissa Farmiga plays Sister Irene while viewers will recognise Charlotte Hope as Myranda from ‘Game of Thrones.’ Interestingly, Taissa’s sister, Vera Farmiga, plays Lorraine Warren in ‘The Conjuring’ and its sequel. Ingrid Bisu (‘Toni Erdmann’), Jonas Bloquet (‘Elle’), and Jonny Coyne round out the cast.

Corin Hardy is directing the movie following his successful debut feature ‘The Hollows’ (which was shot in Ireland, by the way). The story for ‘The Nun’ comes from James Wan, who directed the first two ‘Conjuring’ movies, and Gary Dauberman, who penned both ‘Annabelle’ movies. Wan is also producing alongside long-time producer of the series Peter Safran.

 

What have we seen from ‘The Nun’ so far?

The official teaser trailer, which already has over 16 million views on Youtube, was dropped by Warners in June. A teaser clip featuring Demián Bichir as the priest, trapped in a coffin, was released more recently. You can watch both videos below:

 

Perhaps most controversially, a jumpscare Youtube ad for the film was banned following numerous complaints. You can watch the advert here, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

 

‘The Nun’ is released in Irish cinemas on September 7th.