’The Conjuring 3’ Director Michael Chaves on Approaching the Franchise as a Fan First

The Warrens are back, with one of their most ripped-from-the-headlines cases Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the third installment in the main Conjuringfranchise of a now-extended horror universe, finds married paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) taking the case of a young man (Ruairi O’Connor) who’s committed a murder while, ostensibly, under demonic possession. As the Warrens get deeper into the case, boundaries become blurred and their lives become at risk to one of the most vicious forces they’ve ever faced. The Conjuring 3 is the first film in the main franchise not to be directed by James Wan, who returns as producer and co-writer. That honor goes to Michael Chaves, who previously directed Conjuring-verse entry The Curse of La Llorona. I spoke with Chaves over Zoom about stepping into Wan’s previously inhabited lane, the strategy of making a film as a fan first, and the desire to keep his own directorial ego in his backpock