The Revenge of La Llorona Begins Filming – The Weeping Woman Is Back and Angrier Than Ever
The Weeping Woman is at it again. Six years after The Curse of La Llorona soaked cinema screens with supernatural sorrow and parental guilt, the vengeful spirit returns for another round of ghostly misery. Production on the long-awaited sequel, appropriately titled The Revenge of La Llorona, has officially begun in Buffalo, proving that no curse is strong enough to keep a horror franchise buried forever.
Jay Hernandez, best known for his work on Magnum P.I. and the original Hostel, stars alongside Chicago Fire’s Monica Raymund. The one familiar face returning from the 2019 film is Raymond Cruz, reprising his role as Rafael Olvera, the priest turned curandero (spiritual healer) who battled the malevolent ghost last time. This time, Rafael is older, wiser and presumably even more tired of dealing with crying ghosts in soggy dresses.
Joining the cast are Edy Ganem from 9-1-1, Martín Fajardo of Griselda, Acston Luca Porto from Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado, and Avie Porto of Bob Hearts Abishola. The film is directed by Santiago Menghini, who previously delivered the claustrophobic nightmare No One Gets Out Alive. The script comes from Sean Tretta, whose work on 12 Monkeys proved he knows a thing or two about family drama and impending doom.
The plot follows the return of the vengeful spirit La Llorona, who forces a fractured family to confront their past and unite with their estranged curandero grandfather in order to banish her once and for all. The logline promises ancient evils, emotional reunions and plenty of supernatural tears. Whether the family survives long enough to hug it out remains to be seen.
Now, before you ask: yes, this is the same La Llorona from the old legend of the weeping woman who drowned her children and now roams the earth wailing and stealing other people’s offspring. She has been haunting Latin American folklore for centuries, scaring generations of children into behaving. Hollywood first brought her to the big screen in 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona, directed by Michael Chaves, who later graduated to helm The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II. Chaves is not returning for the sequel, but his curse seems to live on, particularly at the box office.
Despite being met with mixed reviews (and that is being polite), The Curse of La Llorona earned a staggering 123 million dollars worldwide on a modest nine million dollar budget. That kind of profit is the kind of haunting studio executives dream about, so it is somewhat surprising that a sequel took six years to materialise. Perhaps the ghost needed time to dry out.
There has always been confusion about whether The Curse of La Llorona was officially part of The Conjuring universe. After all, the film featured Father Perez, the same priest from Annabelle, and was produced by James Wan’s Atomic Monster. However, producer Peter Safran put the rumours to rest, declaring, “You cannot count it!” which sounds like something Lorraine Warren might have said while holding a crucifix. Safran explained that while Chaves’ involvement caused some overlap, the film lacked one of The Conjuring’s key producers, which meant it never officially joined the club.
Michael Chaves later confirmed the separation, saying the Annabelle cameo was meant as a cheeky Easter egg rather than an invitation to the Warrens’ extended paranormal barbecue. It might not have the Warrens, but The Curse of La Llorona carved its own little corner in horror history with its eerie visuals and cultural roots, introducing global audiences to a legend that had long been whispered about in Spanish-speaking households.
With The Revenge of La Llorona, the filmmakers seem ready to double down on the folklore. Director Santiago Menghini has a knack for visual atmosphere, and his past work suggests we can expect more practical scares and fewer jump-cut shrieks. If the first film was about mothers, grief and guilt, this one looks set to explore heritage, family ties and what happens when your grandmother is more dangerous than the ghost in the attic.
Of course, horror fans will be watching closely to see if this sequel can surpass the first film’s watery reputation. Will The Revenge of La Llorona bring new life to the legend or will it simply drown in its own tears? Either way, the Weeping Woman has been waiting a long time to make her comeback, and by the sound of it, she is not in the mood for forgiveness.
Get ready for more late-night wailing, haunted hallways and a ghostly reminder never to take a bath in a cursed house. The spirit of La Llorona is alive, well and still ruining family gatherings one scream at a time.
