Finale framing that works: The Conjuring’s last stand

Warner Bros. is selling more than just scars scares with The Conjuring: Last Rites. They’re selling closure…your chance to be a part of the end of one of the “scariest horror franchises in recent years” (according to me).

Every trailer, teaser, and poster hammers home one promise: this is the final chapter of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s story. That “finale” framing has reignited lapsed fan interest, transforming a decade-old horror series into a must-see event.

The campaign leans into three emotional levers:

• Urgency: “The Last Case” headline builds FOMO for anyone who’s followed since 2013.

• Nostalgia: Surprise Annabelle cameo, callbacks to past cases, and archival imagery turn the film into a farewell tour.

• Sentiment: Behind-the-scenes goodbyes from Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson humanize the horror, inviting fans into the send-off.

It’s Impact: Early tracking pegs the domestic opening weekend at $27–36M, already trending above The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’s $24.1M pandemic-era debut. Proof that “finality sells” when paired with emotional hooks.

Here are some of the ways The Conjuring: Last Rites is bringing their last chance messaging to life:

Does “Final Chapter” marketing actually lift box office?

Positioning a movie as the end of a beloved saga can tap into fan nostalgia, create urgency, and turn a routine sequel into a must-see cultural event. But does that emotional play actually translate into ticket sales?

To find out, here’s a look at how other major franchises have performed when marketing their swan songs compared to the entry that came before:

Domestic Opening Weekend

What We See:

• Eventized finales with real payoff (Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Endgame) see huge lifts.

• Fatigued brands (Mockingjay Pt. 2) or those with diluted theatrical strategy (Halloween Ends) fail to capitalize.

• For Last Rites, pairing closure with fan-rewarding nostalgia beats gives the best shot at converting renewed curiosity into opening-weekend urgency.

Pro Tip for Marketers: The “final chapter” play works best when the ending feels earned and the campaign builds a shared sense of occasion. For The Conjuring, that means more “timeline of the Warrens” content, greatest-scares reels, and cast retrospectives to amplify the goodbye.

Search interest tells the same story

Google Trends data shows how key Last Rites campaign beats (teaser, final chapter announcement, full trailer with Annabelle cameo) directly drove spikes in U.S. search interest.

We see an early lift at the Final Chapter reveal, but the full trailer drop created the largest spike, nearly doubling interest versus the teaser period.

That’s the moment the nostalgia and urgency levers clicked together, turning casual curiosity into active attention.

The sustained plateau afterward suggests the “farewell tour” message is sticking, keeping the film in audience conversation through August.

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