What’s a guaranteed way of making a horror movie scarier? Basing a horror movie on actual real-life events. The Conjuring Universe has certainly found a lot of success in this arena, with James Wan’s baby built around paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who, as fans of the franchise will know, really existed. In addition to the three Conjuring films, we also have an Annabelle trilogy, The Curse of La Llorona and The Nun, with the 2018 spinoff finally getting is own sequel this summer in the form of The Nun II.
An offshoot of The Conjuring 2, in which the character of the demon Valak — the habit-wearing hell-spawn that serves as the eponymous evil of these movies — first debuted, The Nun II follows on from its predecessor in acting as a prequel to The Conjuring, taking place in 1950s Europe. Even though Taissa Farmiga’s Sister Irene has relocated from Romania to France for the sequel, unfortunately, Valak tracks her down once again.
But does The Nun II take after its parent series in being based on a true story? Well, it’s confession time…
The mythological beginnings of The Nun franchise explained
No, The Nun II is not based on a true story. The same thing goes for The Nun. Although The Conjuring 2 was inspired by the real-life poltergeist activity in Enfield, England in 1977, the addition to Valak the demon to the narrative was an invention of Wan and his team, therefore the franchise built entirely around the villain had the freedom to get fully creative and craft a brand-new narrative.
That said, Valak is not a wholesale original creation of The Conjuring Universe as a demon bearing that name exists in occult lore going back centuries. You’ve probably heard about grimoires — books of dark magic — in many a movie and TV show, but they are actually a real thing in antiquity too, and Valak is a frequent presence in several notable tomes. This includes The Lesser Key of Solomon, written in the mid-17th century but drawing from materials dating back hundreds and hundreds of years earlier.
In traditional occult mythology, Valak (also spelled Valac, Ualac, or Volach) does not appear as a nun but as a cherubic winged boy riding a dragon. Needless to say, it’s understandable why Wan and Co. decided to switch that up for something a little less Sistine Chapel meets Game of Thrones. Designated as a president of hell due to its significant powers, Valak is able to seek treasures as well as control serpents, which is where Valak’s alias in the movie, “The Marquis of Snakes,” originates.
So, no, The Nun II is not based on actual events, but who’s to say where these ancient beliefs of a demon called Valak came from? Just something to ponder while you’re tucked up in bed tonight, alone in the dark…
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
