Thanks to Marvel, most major studios in Hollywood are not only trying to find a big franchise, but they are trying to find something that can be spun into an entire cinematic universe. Warner Bros. found themselves an unlikely one in 2013 with The Conjuring, which has already spawned a spin-off franchise in Annabelle and next year, will see a second spin-off titled The Nun. The studio has officially announced a release date for The Nun, which will fittingly be released on Friday the 13th.

Warner Bros. has announced that The Nun will be released on Friday, July 13, 2018. Not only will that put the movie out on a day that is synonymously linked with horror, but it will be right in the heart of the summer movie season. That is a bold strategy for a horror movie, but one that paid off in a big way last year for the studio with The Conjuring 2. That movie was released in June of 2016 and went on to gross a very impressive $320 million worldwide. It looks like the studio feels confident enough in The Nun to implement a similar release strategy.

Recently, Corin Hardy, director of The Hallow and upcoming The Crow remake was hired to direct The Nun, which will pretty much make The Conjuring into a cinematic universe. While there haven't been any official story details revealed about the movie yet, it will be focusing on the creepy demon nun that was featured in The Conjuring 2 who, interestingly enough, was a last-minute addition to the movie. The Nun could also wind up having ties to the upcoming Annabelle 2, which will be released in theaters this August. Lights Out director David F. Sandberg has encouragingly said the movie "will be the Godfather II of creepy doll movies." But it is in the synopsis for Annabelle 2 that a potential connection with The Nun seems to exist.

"Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker's possessed creation, Annabelle."

Could that nun be the same nun that we see in next year's spin-off? If so, that would be a really interesting way to tie all of these franchises together and make it a proper universe. Both The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 were rarities in the horror genre in that, they were both really adored by critics and also did gangbusters business at the box office. Annabelle wasn't as critically adored but still fared will financially speaking. If Annabelle 2 can manage to garner a bit more acclaim and if The Nun can do the same, Warner Bros. could really be looking at something truly unique and very valuable. We will be sure to keep you up to date as more details on The Nun become available.