The Conjuring Universe has developed eight films; many of them have done well at the box office, and they are loved for their suspenseful build-ups and heart-pounding spooky scenes. However, The Nun dodged the bad reviews from critics to become the most successful and highest-grossing film in its universe even with a small budget, leaving behind 2016's The Conjuring 2 in the box office race. The Nun II will be making its way to the big screens on September 8, 2023, and will be the ninth installment of The Conjuring Universe, following the commercial success of its 2018 predecessor.
The first Nun installment ends with Sister Irene being able to stop the powerful Valak from capturing her body. But this doesn't put an end to her demonic activities, as she then possesses the body of Frenchie, who also goes by the name Maurice by the end of the film. Four years have passed, and now in The Nun II, Sister Irene returns to France to solve another case regarding a priest's murder. She again has to confront the terrifying and unholy force of Valak.
Akela Cooper, screenwriter for M3GAN, penned the script along with Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, and Michael Chaves, director of The Curse of La Llorona, helmed the film. Along with familiar faces, some new characters will also be welcomed in the Conjuring Universe. So let's get to know the cast and characters of The Nun II.
Bonnie Aarons as Valak / The Nun
After making a minor appearance in The Conjuring 2 and playing a main antagonist in The Nun, Bonnie Aarons reprises her role as the terrifying and cunning Valak, who will be creating new sinister problems for Sister Irene. She is described as "the demon that was once an angel, rejected by God, stripped of power," and has likely come to take back her power in The Nun II.
According to the prequel, her story started when, centuries ago, a Duke, who was obsessed with occult and black magic built Cârța Monastery and summoned a demonic entity from the catacombs. After knowing about the Duke's wrongdoings, the Vaticans killed him and sealed the rift with the Blood of Christ until the bombings of World War II reopened it, liberating this demonic entity, who later takes the form of a Nun slaughtering other holy nuns and corrupting their faith in God.
Aarons is renowned for her notable work in the majority of horror films like I Know Who Killed Me, Drag Me to Hell, Jakob's Wife, Dahmer Vs, Gacy, and Mulholland Drive.
Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene
The sign of a strong protagonist is that even after being frightened by an entity, they don't hide under the tables or run away, but show courage by risking their lives and protecting those around them — and that's how Sister Irene, too, can be defined. Since her childhood, she has had terrible visions that her parents considered a sign of madness, but later she became a part of the church as a nun in the novitiate. When she encounters the Nun in The Nun, the antagonist tries her best to weaken her belief in God and take over her body, but Irene Palmer is a brave soul and a firm devotee of God who battled evil fiercely.
In The Nun II, Taissa Farmiga's character will come face-to-face with Valak once again, but this time she has to make sure to drag her back to hell and not let her win back her stripped powers. Initially, Farmiga wanted to be an accountant, but ended up embarking upon an acting career, with her first film being Higher Ground, a directorial debut film of her sister Vera Farmiga, who plays Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigator in TheConjuring Universe. She has also been a part of several popular films and TV series like American Horror Story, The Gilded Age, The Mule, At Middleton, The Final Girls, and others.
Anna Popplewell as Kate
Anna Popplewell will take on the role of Kate and is a new addition to The Nun II cast. Her character is a widower and single parent to 10-year-old Sophie, and she is also a school teacher at St. Mary's School in France (per Deadline). Popplewell started her acting career at a very young age, but entered the film industry in 1998 with her role in TV production Frenchman's Creek. She continued doing smaller and supporting roles in various films and miniseries until she landed her first major role in a feature film called The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
She played Susan Pevensie, also known as Queen Susan the Gentle, who is known for her practical nature, kindness, and excellent archery. She also appeared in the next installment The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and made a cameo in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Popplewell's other popular entries also include the famous The CW series Reign as Lady Lola and the five-episode series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn as Chyler Silva.
Jonas Bloquet as Frenchie
Frenchie is one of the main characters from The Nun, whose real name was revealed to be Maurice Theriault, and he had an inverted crucifix on his neck, marking his possession by Valak and the fact that the evil is not gone, which seemingly didn't come to the notice of Sister Irene. The end of the film showed us footage of Maurice's exorcism carried out by the Warrens 20 years later, which was actually a tie-in clip to The Conjuring that took place in 1968-71, thus creating a sense of danger in our minds' that his character story might not end well in this sequel too.
The Nun II will take place in 1956's France. Frenchie, who is now a groundskeeper at a Catholic school, still carries his dark past around and will be reuniting with Sister Irene. Jonas Bloquet has been popular for playing roles inin short films and TV series like Elena, Germinal, 1899, Max, Longue Distance, and others. He has been nominated for the Magritte and César Awards for Most Promising Actor in the films Private Lessons (Joachim Lafosse) and Elle (Paul Verhoeven).
Katelyn Rose Downey as Sophie
Katelyn Rose Downey is also a new addition to The Nun II cast. She will be playing a 10-year-old girl named Sophie who studies at St. Mary School. As per the trailer, she is the one who gets the feeling that something doesn't feel right with the school, and she explains to Sister Irene that she believes there is some evil spirit present that wasn't supposed to be there. Along with Sister Irene, she will also be hunted and haunted by Valak for her twisted pleasures.
Born and brought up in Dublin, Ireland, Downey, still a young actress, is new to the film industry and has just three projects associated with her name, including The Nun II. She has portrayed Violet in the Joey King-starrer The Princess. She has also been a part of Clean Sweep, which is about a stay-at-home wife whose life is all well until her past criminal case becomes a matter of concern, and her husband is the one tasked with investigating her case. In this 2023 series, she played Caitlin Mohan.
Storm Reid as Unknown Character
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From aspiring to become an actress to making the dream come true in Hollywood, Storm Reid has truly come a long way and, over the years, has been associated with some of the famous projects. She is well-known for her work in popular films like 12 Years a Slave, The Suicide Squad, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Invisible Man. On the small screen, she is renowned for playing Rue Bennett's sister, opposite Zendaya, in the hit HBO series Euphoria, and she also appeared in a supporting role in the Pedro Pascal-starrer The Last of Us.
In The Nun II, as of now, not much about her role has been revealed yet, but yes, Reid has dropped some details about her character. According to her (via Collider), she will be playing a practitioner nun who isn't sure whether she wants to take her vows or not. She will embark on a perilous journey with Sister Irene to track down Maurice and confront Valak.
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