The thing about The Conjuring universe that makes it so horror-inducing is the fact that these films are based on true events. The cases that Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated throughout the decades of work they did together are perfect fodder for horror movies and they make for an interesting watch.
With Hollywood taking liberties and changing aspects of the stories to add some flair and drama, it’s hard to figure out which elements are fact or fiction. For all the fiction added, writers and filmmakers that worked on The Conjuring universe movies kept things pretty similar to the original cases, and that is terrifying to think about.
10 Ed And Lorraine Warren
Ed and Lorraine Warren are not fictional characters. They were married in 1945 and have a daughter named Judy. This couple have worked together to investigate over 10,000 supernatural cases. These Roman Catholic Paranormal Investigators wrote books about their life experiences and investigations into hauntings and possessions.
Though the validity of their claims is widely debated, they have well-documented accounts of all their encounters. And many of their encounters have inspired films directly and indirectly. The Warrens' most popular cases are mainly featured in these movies; while the films do take liberties, most are founded in the Warrens’ truth.
9 Lorraine Had A Spirit Haunt Her
Though many don’t believe in spirits and ghosts, just as many people do. Lorraine is one of those people. In the Conjuring films, the demon Valek haunts Lorraine.
Lorraine claims this is true, however it wasn’t a demonic nun. Lorraine claims a swirling vortex followed her for most of her life, probably picked up when she investigated a case. She has thoroughly documented it throughout the years.
8 Annabelle Is A Real Doll
Annabelle is a real doll that is kept in the museum the Warrens have. However, the doll's origins are different than what is depicted in the movies. The real Annabelle is a Raggedy Anne-style doll that was purchased by a woman named Donna at a hobby store. It was for her daughter as a birthday gift.
Donna was a 28-year-old nursing student trying to get a simple present for her daughter. The original Annabelle looks nothing like the porcelain doll depicted in the movie. Though Donna and her daughter’s story isn’t told thoroughly in the movies, they do touch on Donna having the doll after the events that took place in Annabelle. Audiences see Donna and her roommates telling the Warrens about their experience that took place after the events of the movie.
7 "The Crooked Man" Song
This creepy song sang in The Conjuring 2 is actually a real-life lullaby. In the movie, it is sung by the demon Valek and used to torment the Hodgson family. Though its true origins are unknown, it was first printed by James Orchard Halliwell in 1842.
The lullaby gained popularity in the 20th century and is actually well known. The song definitely cast the perfect mood in the movie.
6 Perron Family
The Perron Family is the subject of the first movie in The Conjuring universe. This real family bought a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. The family consisted of parents Carolyn and Roger Perron and their five lovely girls.
Soon after they moved into the house, they started to experience strange happenings that eventually built up and got worse and worse. Their story was accounted in the Warrens' books and eventually made into the movie. The Perron family stayed in the house for a whole decades before finally leaving in 1980.
5 The Old Arnold Estate
This is the house that the Perron family resided in. They moved into it in 1970, but the house was already old, carrying more than eight generations of the same family.
Located in Rhode Island, the house still stands and accepts visitors. The house is massive, with 14 rooms in it. It’s no wonder that it had enough room for Perron and all of those ghosts.
4 The Enfield House Tragedy
The Enfield house depicted in The Conjuring 2 is a real residence in the UK. The house is on 284 Green Streets Brimsdown, Enfield, London, England. It still stands today. Between the years 1977-1979, the tragedy occurred. The case involved the Hodgson family, with single mom Peggy and her four children involved. The two daughters were the main victims of the incident.
The police were called to the home in August of ’77. Peggy claimed that she saw furniture moving and the children heard knocking. The police constable that came even saw furniture move but sadly could not state how or why. This case is the most wildly believed story by experts due to the sheer amount of evidence. Over a period of a year and a half over 30 experts, journalists and psychics were brought in to investigate and all said they saw and experienced things they simply could not explain.
3 Ed And Lorraine Warren’s Museum
After years of investigating, the Warrens eventually compiled a collection of occult objects. At the end of The Conjuring 2, audiences see that Lorraine is collecting items, and this was very accurate. They decided to open up a museum to display these objects in Monroe, Connecticut.
Monroe is Lorraine’s hometown and with the help of her son-in-law, they were able to build the museum. Sadly, the museum is now closed, but while it was open, many fans of the occult flocked there to see the items on display. The Warrens put more than just items from their infamous cases, they also put objects from all over the world.
2 Ed And Lorraine Were Roman Catholic
The movies depict the Warrens as religious people, which is true to reality. They both were Roman Catholic and this helped them as they investigated. In fact, Ed is considered a Catholic lay expert in Demonology.
They believed their faith helped protect them during their investigations and also aided them in helping expel evil forces. Lorraine especially was strong in her Catholic faith.
1 They Had A Daughter
In The Conjuring and Annabelle Comes Home, Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy is seen as a young girl. Born five years after her parents' marriage in 1950, Judy was a bright young girl who often stayed with her grandparents while her parents traveled for work.
She is now Judy Spera, having married, but her parents’ legacy still lives on with her. She recalls being terrified of the doll Annabelle and says her parents had two rules, that she did not go near the doll and touch it or give it any recognition. This is a big difference from her portrayal in the movie.