\n\tLet the haunting begin.<\/p>\n
\n\tJolting the sleepy box office<\/a> back to life as fall gets underway, New Line\u2019s <\/a>The Conjuring: Last Rites<\/a> scared up a franchise-best $8.5 million in Thursday previews in yet another win for the Warner Bros. film empire. That\u2019s also the biggest franchise gross of the year to date for a horror film after passing up the $5.8 million earned in previews by Sony\u2019s 28 Years Later.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Conjuring: Last Rites<\/a> stars Vera Farmiga<\/a> and Patrick Wilson<\/a>\u00a0in their final turn as real-life paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Lorraine, but that doesn\u2019t mean the franchise is going anywhere. Last Rites is being billed as the ninth and final title in Phase One of The Conjuring Universe, which has become the top-grossing horror franchise in box office history after collecting more than $2.3 billion in global ticket sales. Next up is Phase Two.<\/p>\n \n\tDirected by series regular Michael Chaves, Last Rites \u2014 a sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me to Do It \u2014 is based on the Warrens\u2019 investigation of the Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania. Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy also star, with Atomic Monster\u2019s James Wan and DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran returning to produce.<\/p>\n