'Conjuring 2’ scribe signs on to write horror threequel, but James Wan has said he might not have time to direct

Entertainment Weekly has learned that David Leslie Johnson will write the script for The Conjuring 3. The movie is the third entry in the series of horror films about real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, which dates back to 2013’s The Conjuring. The series has inspired a number of spin-offs, including 2014’s Annabelle, this summer’s Annabelle: Creation (out Aug. 11), and director Corin Hardy’s recently-wrapped The Nun. The Conjuring 3 will be based on another one of the Warrens’ supposedly true-life case files. In the first two films, the couple was played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

Leslie’s previous writing credits include 2016’s The Conjuring 2, which, like the original The Conjuring, was directed by James Wan. Leslie also worked with Wan on the filmmaker’s upcoming Aquaman. The Conjuring 3 will be likely be produced by Wan and Peter Safran.

No one has yet been hired to direct The Conjuring 3 and last year Wan told EW that his busy schedule might preclude him from making the series’ third entry.

“Jeez, I love the world, I love Patrick and Vera, and I have such a great relationship with New Line and Warner Bros., so the idea of coming back to that family is not a bad thing,” said the director. “I wouldn’t turn anything down, I think. But I am quite busy potentially for the next couple of years. So, who knows if they’ll actually wait for me to come back and do another one?”

News of Johnson’s hiring was first reported by Deadline.