The Conjuring Universe Timeline: How Valak, Annabelle, and the Warrens' Cases Connect

A story of evil stretched across decades: how The Conjuring timeline works.

The Conjuring cinematic universe consists of a series of films that gradually pick up prequels and spin-off storylines. Because of this, the stories of demons, artifacts, and the Warren couple's cases unfold on screen in fragments and out of release order.

How the chronological order works within The Conjuring universe, and what ties the films into a single story — the DeTalks team takes a look.

Who the Warrens Are, and Why the Franchise Is Built Around Them

Ed and Lorraine Warren were a real American couple who, in the second half of the 20th century, publicly claimed to have investigated thousands of cases of paranormal activity. Ed Warren presented himself as a demonologist, and Lorraine as a clairvoyant. The couple founded an occult museum and appeared repeatedly on television as supernatural experts.

In 2013, director James Wan made the film The Conjuring based on stories from Lorraine, who was still alive at the time, launching the cinematic universe. Later, individual demons and artifacts got their own spin-offs, but all of them were connected in some way to the Warrens' work.

Why The Nun (2018) Marks the Start of the Timeline

Although The Conjuring (2013) was the first film released, the universe's story chronologically begins with The Nun. The film's events take audiences to 1952, to the remote Romanian abbey of St. Cârța, where two nuns die under mysterious circumstances. The Vatican launches an investigation and sends Father Anthony Burke and novice Irene to the monastery, joined by resident Maurice.

While at the abbey, the characters discover that a gateway to hell had once been opened on the site of the monastery. The evil that escaped turns out to be the demon Valak — an entity that takes the form of a nun (but isn't human). It's here that the key antagonist of the entire Conjuring universe is first established.

The final scene directly ties the events to the Warrens, since the couple later presents the exorcism of Maurice to students in a lecture about their experiences, in the film The Conjuring 2.

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

After the events of The Nun, the timeline shifts to the US and centers on the story of the Annabelle doll. It begins with a tragedy in the family of doll maker Samuel Mullins: his daughter, Annabelle, dies in a car accident (1943). The couple tries to cope with their loss through a séance, where an entity contacting them pretends to be their daughter's spirit. The demon then possesses a porcelain doll.

The film's main events take place in 1955, when the Mullinses let a group of orphans and a nun move into their home. One of the girls accidentally frees the possessed doll, setting off a chain of events that lets the demon move from the object into a human.

The rules governing the demon's existence are later revealed in the film Annabelle Comes Home. As a matter of fact, the already-familiar Valak appears in the post-credits scene.

The Nun II (2023)

After the events of Annabelle: Creation, the timeline returns to Valak's storyline, showing that the evil released at St. Cârța Abbey was never destroyed.

A series of mysterious deaths among clergy sweeps across Europe, forcing the Vatican to turn to Sister Irene again. The investigation leads her to France, where the demon stalks her at a boarding school, taking the form of a human host. Here, the film clarifies an important plot detail — that Maurice and Frenchie are the same person, infected by the demonic entity back during the events of the first Nun.

The Nun II deepens the antagonist's mythology and gradually steers the story toward the main Warren series. The post-credits scene, in which Ed Warren gets a call from Father Gordon, folds the film into the franchise's shared timeline and builds a bridge to the events of The Conjuring 2, where Valak reappears.

Annabelle (2014)

After the events of The Nun II and the conclusion of Janice's possession story, the timeline moves to the film Annabelle. The demon, which had previously used a human host, returns to the porcelain doll, keeping the connection to Annabelle: Creation intact.

In 1967, the young family of John and Mia Form falls victim to an attack by a satanic cult. After Janice's suicide, the demon fully anchors itself in the Annabelle doll and begins tormenting Mia with aggressive paranormal activity in the Form household. The film shows the next stage in evil's evolution — its return to an object after a failed attempt at fully possessing a human.

The family turns to Father Perez for help. He tries to hand the doll over to the Warrens, but the demon interferes and blocks it. In the finale, Annabelle ends up in an antique shop, explaining how the cursed artifact eventually comes into the Warrens' orbit.

The Conjuring (2013)

After Annabelle's story, which explains the origin of one of the franchise's key artifacts, the timeline moves to The Conjuring — the central point of the entire cinematic universe. It's here that Ed and Lorraine Warren first appear as the main characters.

In 1971, the Perron family moves into an old country house, where they almost immediately encounter an aggressive supernatural force. Facing a threat to her children, the mother turns to the Warrens for help. During their investigation, the demonologists discover that the source of the evil is the spirit of Bathsheba — a woman tied to the Salem trials and occult rituals.

The film also includes a 1968 flashback showing how the Annabelle doll ends up in the Warrens' occult museum.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

After the events of The Conjuring, where the audience sees the Warrens' occult museum for the first time, the timeline moves to Annabelle Comes Home. The film shows how the doll finally ends up under the demonologists' control, and why keeping her isolated becomes critically important.

The film opens with events from 1968, when Ed and Lorraine transport Annabelle to their home. Along the way, the demon tries to harm the couple, but the Warrens manage to place the doll in a specially blessed display case. This episode continues the ending of Annabelle and explains how the artifact ended up in the museum.

The main part of the plot takes place in 1972. While the Warrens are away, Annabelle activates other cursed objects in the museum, creating a threat for the couple's daughter, Judy, and babysitter Mary Ellen.

The film functions as a narrative bridge between The Conjuring and the second installment of the main series. It expands the picture of the Warrens' museum and lays the groundwork for future events in the franchise, where the consequences of past cases continue to make themselves felt.

The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

The universe's timeline then continues with The Curse of La Llorona, in which social worker Anna Garcia confronts the spirit of La Llorona, who haunts her and her children. The film features Father Perez, familiar from Annabelle, and shows the doll itself in flashbacks, formally folding the story into the Conjuring universe.

Though The Curse of La Llorona is often seen as a side story, the presence of characters from other films underscores the shared timeline. In particular, the film shows that individual paranormal cases are interconnected through the Warrens' work and their artifacts.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

At the start of The Conjuring 2, the Warrens are investigating the Amityville murders in 1976, during which Lorraine has a vision of Valak, whom she recognizes from Maurice's exorcism.

The film's main action takes place in 1977, when the Warrens travel to visit the Hodgson family. The demon Valak manipulates the spirit of an old man and psychologically torments Lorraine. The film also serves as a bridge between the other films and the main series, cementing the demon's role as the universe's chief antagonist.

The Conjuring 3 and The Conjuring 4

In the final installments, the Warrens continue their work in 1981, when Valak, after a failed exorcism, moves into Arne Johnson, leading to a series of ritual killings. Lorraine Warren uncovers a cult conspiracy tied to the possession, while Ed and his wife take part in the first court case in US history where a crime is attributed to demonic presence. This film logically continues the timeline, showing both the evolution of the Warrens' work and Valak's impact on people and events.

The fourth installment continues the Warrens' story and centers on a new case involving the Smurl family. The film is positioned as the franchise's final chapter, summing up the couple's years-long battle against paranormal evil.