The Warrens' case files have helped create a shockingly successful horror universe.

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There are film franchises, and then there are shared universes.

Halloween, Scream, The Exorcist are all successful horror franchises. For the most part, they follow one continuous story. Their sequels, re-quels, and reboots all tend to center around the same villain we’ve known since the beginning.

But The Conjuring is different. Every new film pulls on threads from real-life hauntings , creating a wider universe — much like the Marvel Cinematic universe. Except instead of building out its roster of heroes, The Conjuring builds out a roster of villains.

The Conjurings universe is based on the case files of two of the most famous paranormal investigators of all time: Ed and Lorraine Warren. Whether or not their stories were 100% true is debatable, but one thing is clear: They make for great entertainment.

Their case files have been used as the basis for horror films since the ‘70s, but they really gained traction in 2013 with The Conjuring.

In the 10 years since, the Conjuring has become the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time.

Note: The headline on this piece has been updated.
Previous headline: How The Conjuring became the MCU of horror

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