The Conjuring 2 is landing in cinemas and we caught up with stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson who return as Ed and Lorraine Warren. The supernaturally gifted couple were at the center of the first movie, The Conjuring, and have a whole lot more going on in the sequel. James Wan returns to direct and this time out, the Warrens are heading to England to battle a demon that is terrorizing a family.
They’re coming off their notorious fame from the Amityville case that made them household names. The mainstream media was painting them as charlatans, and they were eager to head to Enfield, Great Britain to prove the world wrong. What they experience (and us by extension the audience) was the absolute definition of horror. But, what struck us (and clearly Wilson and Farmiga) is that this is also a love story about two people hopelessly in love. It is an adoration between two people that no demon can break.
“The biggest response I got from the first film, and I’m sure it’s similar for you (pointing to Farmiga), is people that say, I don’t like scary films at all, but I loved yours,” Wilson proudly stated.
“It wasn’t just a great horror movie, it was great film. I love that. And I think that’s what the first movie did is transcend the genre. I think why you don’t set out to do something like that, you certainly want to craft a great story about relationships, and humanity, and a love story, and what their relationship was, and how that works in this world. I love the fact that that’s what makes a movie stand the test of time. For these people that loved each other so much, that does become the cornerstone for this franchise.”
Farmiga concurred. It was what drew her to the series from the beginning. “It’s always been my approach. I knew a thing of Lorraine Warren when the offer came, and as soon as I Googled all the videos of yesteryear, I was just absolutely delighted by that coupling. They are so darned cute, and they are connected. They have a connection that is undeniable. So for me, coming aboard this was going to be very much about, I mean, it is a love story for me,” Farmiga said.
Farmiga has talked to the real woman she plays in The Conjuring 2 many times, and despite everything she’s seen and done, it always comes back to her transcending love of her husband. “When we spend time with Lorraine, it’s time spent talking about Ed — the two of them together. She exudes love. You feel it. It’s so palpable. I just try to display that accurately and tap into their great love, their immense love.”
After doing several Wan-helmed horror movies now, Wilson admitted that he’s not any more scarred of the unknown than he was before. In fact, if something did happen, you might be surprised at his reaction. “I think I would laugh, because I know it wouldn’t be nearly as scary as anything that James (Wan) came up with,” Wilson said and chuckled. “If anything, I’m less wary of it because I feel like I’ve just exhausted every side of it. It interests me. I’m fascinated by people’s stories of the paranormal. But, it doesn’t scare me.”
Since the last film, Wan has gone on to great success with Furious 7. We wondered what the actors noticed in their director that perhaps was a little different than the last time they worked with him.
“I think this time, because he had been so immersed in that, however many billion dollar franchise, it only puts pressure on himself. I think the exciting thing was to come back understanding how the other side works. Meaning, huge action sequences, crazy huge budget, and the amount of time that he can spend on a scene. Whereas I think in this, he gained a confidence to pull off something like, in the scene where I’m talking to Bill, and the camera’s basically right here the whole time. He could never do that in F7; have a take three minutes long, whatever it is, a four, three page scene. I remember him coming in that morning being very excited. I was slightly nervous because usually, you don’t need to learn that many pages. They come for rehearsals like, so I want to do this whole thing in one take. You’re like, okay — got to learn my lines,” Wilson said and laughed.
“But I think it gave him this freedom of like, I know how that other genre works. Therefore, because there is a similar vibe of setting up your set pieces like settings up your scares, for an action, right? I think it gave him the confidence to go, okay, let’s just sit into these people.”
For Farmiga, it’s always been about the dance. “He and I have a very specific way. I’m sure he dealt with me differently than he deals with Vin Diesel,” she said and laughed. “He has a way with me that is our way and has to do very much with choreography, with head turns and tempo. He’s very precise. It has to do with movement. He directs me like a dancer, in our very unique relationship.”