Horror movie filming in Schenectady is likely 'The Conjuring' prequel film

A recent batch of casting calls suggests that scary stuff is coming to Schenectady in the near future - and it might involve one of Hollywood's biggest horror film franchises.

Grant Wilfley Casting, which recruited local actors to appear in HBO's "The Gilded Age" earlier this year, has posted casting calls throughout July for background actors, photo doubles, theater patrons and specialized extras - including stilt walkers and unicyclists - to appear in "Bridgeport," a horror film expected to begin shooting in late July.

"Bridgeport" is believed to be the film's preliminary, unofficial title, however, and details suggest the production is actually "The Conjuring: First Communion," the next installment of New Line's popular horror franchise.

The casting notices for "Bridgeport" seek both adult and child actors around Schenectady to play characters in both the 1940s and 1890s, with filming on the project expected to begin in late July and run through early October. While the casting calls offer few details about the content of the film itself, the information that is provided, along with the timing of various elements of the production, makes it almost certain that the next chapter of "The Conjuring" is coming to the Capital Region.

Related: The latest movies, TV series filmed in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley

The nine-film "The Conjuring" franchise is based on the accounts of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, a married couple whose investigations in the 1970s and '80s gained them considerable fame and generated multiple films based on their accounts of dealing with demons, ghosts and other supernatural threats both in the U.S. and abroad. Ed and Lorraine were portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively, in all of the installments in which they appear as adults.

Much like "Bridgeport," "The Conjuring: First Communion" appears to be gearing up for cameras to begin rolling soon, with recent high-profile casting announcements identifying 24-year-old actors Garrett Wareing and Amanda Fix as playing young versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were both born in the mid-1920s in Bridgeport, Conn.

The local horror production sharing a working title with "The Conjuring" characters' birthplace isn't the only connection between Schenectady's mystery movie and the details around "First Communion." The 1940s setting for the local production places its story firmly within the real-life couple's 20s, aligning Ed and Lorraine's ages at that time with the actors' ages.

The timing for the shoot in Schenectady also aligns with the typical Hollywood filming schedule for a project like "First Communion." The film was given a release date of Sept. 10, 2027, leaving almost a year between the end of local filming and the movie's premiere for filming, editing, effects and other post-production duties. 

If "Bridgeport" does indeed turn out to be "The Conjuring: First Communion," this wouldn't be the first time a local production has used a working title for a major release - particularly when it comes to horror films. In 2024, horror sequel "Smile 2" filmed at the MVP Arena with the working title "Too Much For One Heart." 

Information on the casting notice for "Bridgeport" indicates the film is expected to shoot in Albany, Rensselaer, Oneida and Fulton counties in addition to Schenectady.

To date, "The Conjuring" franchise has earned more than $2.7 billion in ticket sales across nine films, making it the highest-grossing horror franchise in box-office history. The most recent installment of the series, 2025's "The Conjuring: Last Rites," grossed nearly $500 million and is currently the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

"The Conjuring: First Communion" is set to be directed by Rodrigue Huart.

More information on the local casting calls for "Bridgeport" is available at gwci.app and on GWCI's Facebook page.

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