The final chapter of the spine-chilling Conjuring series is on its way, promising one last dive into the unknown with The Conjuring: Last Rites. Get ready for another terrifying trip as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren face their most infamous case yet.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back as the legendary duo. This time, they’re taking on the truly disturbing hauntings that plagued the Smurl family back in the 1980s. Wilson recently shared a peek behind the scenes. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in May 2025, he mentioned that the Smurl case has been on the filmmakers’ minds for quite a while. "We’ve known about this case for a long time," the actor said. He explained that writers then figure out how it affects the family on screen. They also explore what’s happening in their lives. "That’s where we really get to theatricalize it. We’re not making a documentary," he added, hinting at the creative touches.
The Real Story Behind the Screams
Yes, The Conjuring: Last Rites pulls its terrifying plot from the real-life ordeal of the Smurl family. Ed and Lorraine Warren actually investigated their claims of paranormal activity in 1986, according to Penn Live.
The Smurl family included parents Jack and Janet Smurl, along with their four children. Their haunting began when they moved into a duplex on Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1973. Right away, they started noticing unsettling things. They heard loud noises and smelled awful odors that couldn’t be explained.
Things only got worse from there. The family eventually believed a demon was living in their home. They said this evil entity threw their dog against a wall. It shook their mattress violently and even pushed one of their daughters down the stairs. Worse still, family members reported being physically assaulted.
After years of these terrifying experiences, the Smurls’ story reached the Warrens. Ed and Lorraine arrived in 1986 to investigate the duplex. They claimed to find several ghostly presences. They even recorded proof of paranormal activity, like unexplained knocks and touches. A chilling message appeared on a mirror, simply telling them to "leave." Lorraine Warren believed there were four spirits haunting the Smurl home: an old woman, a young girl, a man who had died in the house, and a powerful demon.
Despite their efforts, the Warrens couldn’t rid the house of its demonic resident. The Smurls then turned to a local pastor for help. An exorcism was performed, and it reportedly brought peace back to their lives.
So, what became of the house after such a nightmare? Even after the exorcism, the Smurls said they still heard strange knocks and saw shadows. They decided it was best to move out for good. Later, a woman named Debra Owens moved into the supposedly haunted home. She told reporters that she never experienced anything out of the ordinary there.
More Than Just a Movie
The Smurl family’s story has captured imaginations before. Beyond inspiring the latest Conjuring movie, their experiences were detailed in a 1986 paperback book called The Haunted. A TV movie with the same title followed in 1991.
Mark Your Calendars
Get ready to scream! The Conjuring: Last Rites is set to hit theaters on September 5, 2025.