6 Easter Eggs From ‘The Nun’ (2018)

The Conjuring Universe is rich with Easter Eggs whose significance is often revealed with each new installment.

An Easter egg for The Nun (2018) was hidden in Annabelle: Creation (2017).

The Nun (2018) takes the mysterious demon disguised as a nun from the shadows of The Conjuring 2 (2016), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019) and explores its blood-soaked roots at The Cârța Monastery in Romania.

The Conjuring Universe is rich with Easter Eggs whose significance is often revealed with each new installment. With that in mind, as we prepare for The Nun 2 (2023), let’s look at the Easter Eggs and tie-ins for The Nun (spoilers ahead).

Frenchie Is Maurice from the first Conjuring film

Fans of The Conjuring universe may have noticed that “Frenchie” is actually Maurice Theriault, who is mentioned in The Conjuring five years before The Nun was released.

Let’s get the easy one out of the way. Towards the end of The Nun, Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) reveals that his real name is Maurice. At the beginning of The Conjuring (2013), the Warrens show footage to a class of them exorcising Maurice (previously played by Christof Veillon).

There Are Similarities Between Lorraine Warren and Sister Irene

The actresses who play Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga, left) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga, right) are sisters in real life and are rumored to be related or possibly the same person in the Conjuring universe.

The actresses portraying Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) are real-life sisters. The characters are officially unrelated at the time of this writing; however, similarities exist.

Both characters are American-born women who have possessed the gift of psychic clairvoyance since childhood. Some believe they’re relatives, possibly sisters. Others believe they could be the same person.

Lorraine was born on January 31, 1927, and the events of The Nun took place in 1952, so Lorraine would’ve been 25 at the time. Irene’s birth year, as her passport is flashed, is 1930. As for her birthplace, it’s Bridgeport, Connecticut; this is the same place Lorraine was born.

Sister Charlotte’s Photo From Annabelle: Creation Appears in the Background of Monastery

Valek can be spotted on the right in this photo from Annabelle: Creation (2017).

Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman), in Annabelle: Creation, shows a photo of Sisters Maria, Ana, Lucia, and herself at a Romanian monastery. Valak is seen lurking in the shadows behind them. When asked about the shady specter, Charlotte doesn’t know who it is. In The Nun, the same photo is seen hanging on a wall of the monastery behind Sister Irene as she checks the rooms.

The Sisters aren’t mentioned in The Nun and don’t appear to be in it. Annabelle: Creation is set in 1955, three years after the events of The Nun. It seems likely that Valak killed Maria, Ana, and Lucia, and Charlotte left beforehand.

Valak’s Name Is Everywhere

Valek’s name appears many places in the Conjuring universe.

The Nun continues the Conjuring Universe’s trend of hiding Valak’s name in the background of scenes. At the school where Sister Irene teaches, Valak is spelled out in the bars of the seesaw.

As Father Burke (Demián Bichir) drives his pickup truck away, the license plate reads “6 – VA – 01LAK.” Remove the middle – 01 to get Valak.

Other instances include Sister Irene’s classroom (on the chalkboard and split starting with a V-shaped chair) and within an upside-down pentagram later in the Abbey. Is this a clue that Valak’s influence extends beyond the confines of the monastery and that it’s haunting Sister Irene? If so, that’s another commonality between Irene and Lorraine.

Father Burke’s Vision is Deeper Than It Seems

Father Burke is played by Demián Bichir. Bichir received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in A Better Life (2011).

Father Burke is haunted by visions of David, a young boy who died after a failed exorcism attempt. David’s ghost is defiled by Valak and seen coughing up a massive snake. Interestingly, this imagery resembles a demon mentioned in a grimoire on demonology, The Lesser Key of Solomon.

Valac also called the High President of Hell, is depicted as a cherubic daemon riding a serpent. In The Conjuring 2, As Lorraine casts Valak out, she calls it by many titles, including the marquis of snakes. This is also consistent with what appears to be the inspiration behind the ghost of David, one of Valak’s many forms.

Valak as The Crooked Man

The Crooked Man spinoff is no longer happening, but allusions to the character can still be seen in movies in the Conjuring universe.

We first see Valak assume the form of The Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2, where we get a good look at its elongated body, decaying skin, signature red pin-striped suit, and battered top hat. In The Nun, after Frenchie witnesses a family mourning the loss of a 12-year-old kid, the camera pans out, and we see The Crooked Man’s hat among them. At the time, this was likely a seed planted in anticipation of The Crooked Man spin-off. According to James Wan, that movie is no longer happening; however, that doesn’t bar The Crooked Man from showing up in other future installments.

With The Nun 2 expected to release September 8, 2023, we’ll see how many of these Easter Eggs culminate into more. Until then, there’s plenty of time to binge the other Conjuring movies for more exciting clues about what’s to come next.

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Meet The Author

Ryan a.k.a. Brother Ghoulish is a horror content creator and author of There’s Something Wrong in Morrington County, a QPOC-lead horror short story collection.