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WonderCon 2013: The Conjuring

A quick introduction, as this is my first WonderCon 2013 article, I will have been in attendance all weekend for WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California and hope to bring plenty of cool info regarding several upcoming films.  First up is the new film from director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) called The Conjuring.  This film is a supernatural horror movie based on a true story and James Wan came to Anaheim to present his thoughts on the film and show off some footage.  He also brought with him the actual people whom this story is based on.  Read on to learn more about this upcoming horror film, arriving in theaters this summer.

So The Conjuring is a new horror story based on a true story.  It comes from New Line Cinema and is being distributed by Warner Brothers.  It was the first part of Saturday’s Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures panel.  As mentioned, James Wan came out and presented the audience with an extended version of the trailer.  I will post the theatrical trailer below, but this extended version is a longer version of the same couple scenes, which features Lili Taylor attempting to play a game of hide and seek with her daughters, only to become creeped out by the presence of something else in her house, besides just her little girls.  This first scene is followed up by a much creepier scene, which had the audience reacting heavily, as we watched Taylor proceed to the basement of her house, after hearing distracting and worrying noises.  It may be an old horror cliché of sorts, but the film presents the scene effectively, as it made for a scary couple of minutes.

Following this trailer, the Lorraine Warren and two other related members to the real story arrived on stage.  These were the people that were actually involved in the events on which this film is based and they noted how the script and production definitely made the effort to really bring to life the main elements of what made this such a significant event in their lives.

A clip from the movie was soon played, which found two children attempting to go to sleep.  The older of the two girls has gone to sleep, while the younger cannot get to sleep, as she is terrified of something else that could be in the room with them.  It is a lengthy sequence revolving around this young girl looking around her room and eventually under the bed, before figuring that something could be right behind the door.  The sequence is effective enough and definitely evokes the mood of an old-fashioned horror film.  With that said, this is essentially the more traditional version of what Paranormal Activity has been doing for the past few years, so it will be interesting to see if an audience is down for the old school way of handling this type of story or be put off by not being a modern telling of this kind of story.

It should be noted that this is actually a period film.  The story is based a few decades in the past, which adds to the idea of making this a more traditional horror story.  Now I hope traditional does not make one think that this means not as scary, but in case that is a possible thought, according to James Wan, it should be known that while they were shooting for a PG-13, the film actually has an R-rating for no other reason than the fact that it is just too scary.  Similar to Wan’s last film, Insidious, the film does not rely on violence or blood, apparently, just inherent atmosphere and scariness, so I guess it can be considered promising that the rating is still an R because of this.

Based on what I have seen so far, The Conjuring looks like a pretty entertaining horror/thriller, so I hope to be impressed come this summer, when a good horror movie may be a nice break from the bigger action epics arriving week after week.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Conjuring:

 

Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. Based on a true story, “The Conjuring” tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse.

Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” “Orphan”) and Patrick Wilson (“Young Adult,” “Prometheus”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (HBO’s “Band of Brothers”) and Lili Taylor (“Public Enemies”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house.

Joey King (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”), Shanley Caswell (“Detention”), Haley McFarland (TV’s “Lie to Me”), Mackenzie Foy (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”) and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins (upcoming “World War Z”) is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy.

 

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directs from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”). The film is produced by Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter serving as executive producers. Reuniting with the director are members of his “Insidious” creative team, director of photography John Leonetti, editor Kirk Morri and costume designer Kristin M. Burke, and his “Saw” production designer, Julie Berghoff. The music is composed by Joseph Bishara.

New Line Cinema presents a Safran Company / Evergreen Media Group Production of a James Wan Film: “The Conjuring.” Opening July 19, 2013, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Conjuring opens in theaters everywhere on July 19, 2013

Check Out The Trailer Here:

   

Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com.  Follow him on Twitter @AaronsPS3.
He also co-hosts a podcast, Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.