The Conjuring: Last Rites was a runaway hit. The sequel shattered box office records, earning its rightful place as the biggest horror movie opening … ever. In the wake of that epic run, the film is now available on physical media. In support of that, Dread Central caught up with director Michael Chaves to discuss the film’s home video release and its dominant showing at the box office. The filmmaker also shares exclusive insights on his relationship with genre cinema, and the surprising horror movie that ruined his childhood.
Despite being the man behind a bona fide box-office dynamo, Chaves remains refreshingly humble, expressing gratitude to the series’ fans. “I’m honestly blown away by the response and, of course, the box office,” Chaves admits. “This franchise has always meant a lot to people, and we all felt that responsibility while making the film. Everyone poured their heart into it, and I think that love comes through on screen. I’m just deeply thankful for the fans who showed up.”
Long before he was making horror movies that broke box office records, Chaves was a fan of the genre. In fact, he has been taking in horror since his formative years. The filmmaker says he saw Predator 2 at an impressionable age, and it left a lasting impression on him. “I got really unsettled with, I think it was the Voodoo kind of sacrifice thing.”
The second film in the series took a far greater emotional toll on Chaves than the first. Where he saw the original as more of an action picture with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch as a soothing presence, the sequel left him rattled. “I think with this one, I just thought, well, what’s going on?” Chavez explains. “And it just felt more real and closer. It was in Los Angeles, and I grew up in the area, and so I just was really unsettled.”
So, there you have it, dear reader. Predator 2 scarred Chaves in his formative years. But I have to assume those early experiences with genre fare also helped to inform his tastes and perhaps played a role in shaping his eventual rise to prominence as a heavy hitter in The Conjuring universe.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is now available on home video. Check out the sleek 4K Ultra HD packaging here.
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