The Conjuring 2 introduced a terrifying demonic nun known as Valak, who would go on to headline her own spinoff (and an upcoming sequel). Valak proved to be a very effective threat in the acclaimed horror sequel, but director James Wan originally had a very different antagonist in mind.
The Malignant director shared a first look at the practical creature he was planning to use as the movie's demonic force, and it's quite something.
"The original VALAK in The Conjuring 2 was going to be this winged demon," writes Wan. "A beautifully/hideously sculpted animatronic puppet head and practical body-suit by the super talented @justin.raleigh (whom I’ve worked with on pretty much all my movies since Insidious 1) and his team @fracturedfxinc worn by @j_bishara I think I have only one fully finished shot with CGI wings in place."
"It was really grand and epic. But as cool as it was, it felt out of place within the Conjuring world we had built. And so during post production, I reconceived the villain — feeling it needed to be something more grounded, more personal, and creepier. And thus the demonic Nun was born."
Honestly, as cool as it would have been to see this scary-looking bastard terrorizing the Hodgson family, it's hard to argue with Wan's logic. An actual winged, horned demon might been a bit OTT for the Conjuring 2's relatively low-key brand of horror (that said, the movie does go way off the rails in the last act).
What do you guys think? Would you have preferred to see this guy as Valak, or were you happy with The Nun?
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