The Conjuring Universe: Main Series in Chronological Order
The core Conjuring narrative follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren across cases tied to a single lineage of haunting. Presented here is a verified chronological view of the main series by story timeline, not release date, reflecting the intended in-world progression of events.
- 1971 — The Conjuring begins with the Perron family in Harrisville, Rhode Island.
- 1973 — The Conjuring 2 depicts the Enfield poltergeist in London, years after the events in Harrisville.
- 1981 — The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It explores the 1981 trial of murder defendant David Glatzel in Connecticut.
Although released out of sequence, this timeline arranges the main films as they occur within the shared universe, clarifying how each case connects to the Warrens’ history and the broader mythology.
Spinoffs and Related Entries: Where They Fit
The Conjuring Spinoffs in Story Order
Spinoff films expand the mythology with other entities and investigators. In story terms, they intersect with the Warren timeline between and after key cases.
- 1977 — The occult-themed tension of The Annabelle legacy begins before the Harrisvin case.
- 1976–1978 — The Crooked Man and The Bride in Black emerge as regional threats influencing local cases.
- 1980s–1990s — Cases such as those involving The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona are positioned alongside ongoing Warren investigations, showing how entities pre-date and post-date their pivotal interventions.
Viewers who track continuity can map these standalone entries onto the broader chronology to understand how fear propagates across time and geography within this universe.
Complete Viewing Options: Theatrical and Streaming Order
Because the films were released nonchronologically, viewers often ask which order preserves story logic. Two approaches are common:
- Theatrical/Release order — Follows the order films reached audiences, useful for marketing and cultural impact tracking.
- Story/Chronological order — Arranges events as they occur in-universe, ideal for narrative cohesion and mytharc clarity.
For a fact-forward overview of each film’s place in the timeline, see the quick-reference table below.
Film Reference Table: Release and Story Placement
| Film Title | Year | Story Placement (approx.) | Primary Entity or Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Conjuring | 2013 | 1971 | Perron haunting |
| The Conjuring 2 | 2016 | 1977–1979 | Enfield poltergeist |
| The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It | 2021 | 1981 | Glatzel trial |
| Annabelle | 2014 | 1960s–1970s (prologue) | Doll narrative origin |
| The Nun | 2018 | 1950s era | Valak entity backstory |
| The Crooked Man | 2023 | 1970s–1980s interstitial | Regional corruption tale |
Recap and Continuity Takeaways
The Conjuring movies in chronological order center on the Warrens’ progression through increasingly complex cases, from rural hauntings to courtroom battles and cross-regency confrontations. Spinoff films flesh out the universe’s rules by exploring specific entities and locales that predate and outlast individual incidents. Watching in story order can highlight cause and effect across decades, whereas release order emphasizes how the franchise evolved culturally and stylistically.
Common Viewer Questions
- Do I need to watch movies in release order? Not necessarily. If you care about narrative continuity, chronological order is often clearer.
- Are the Conjuring films connected? Yes, they share a continuous mythology, with crossovers and callbacks designed to reinforce a single interconnected timeline.
- Where do the witches and spirits fit? Standalone entries such as The Nun or The Curse of La Llorona are framed as earlier encounters with threats later contextualized within the Warrens’ broader history.