The Nun 2 director: It's like a little bit of a throwback to Dracula, Pennywise, Nosferatu

Filmmaker Michael Chaves talked about the upcoming horror film The Nun 2 and shared interesting details about the character of Valak from the movie.

Director Michael Chaves reflects on The Nun universe, sharing, "When Corin (Hardy) was making The Nun, it was at the same time I was making The Curse of La Llorona. And I became friends with him and with Jonas (Bloquet) and Taissa (Farmiga). And I really liked those guys, and I really loved Corin's take on the movie.

“I thought Taissa and Jonas were wonderful actors and they had this great take on the roles. And so, a couple of years later, when New Line came to me with the (The Nun II) script, they were honestly the first thing I was thinking about—Taissa and Jonas—I loved what they did with their characters and the story that they started.”

He added: “And it was already there in the script, but I felt like there was something more to it. I knew that we could take those characters further. I knew that they could do something really special, which is what made me so excited about it.”

Expanding on the enigmatic character Valak, Chaves added: "I think that the Demon Nun is one of those iconic movie monsters. I mean, you see it on a poster and it’s like a little bit of a throwback to Dracula. You see a little bit of Pennywise. You see a little Nosferatu. It's so timeless and has such an iconic look.”

The director shared that the demon nun is one of the ultimate horror movie icons and one of the ultimate movie villains.

He added: “With this film, I just wanted to take it further. I wanted to explore the manifestations. And I also just wanted to dig more into the story, or at least the myth or the theories of what its origins could be. I think it's really important to do that but never be too specific. I think that part of the mystery and part of not knowing what it is, that’s really powerful. It's what makes it truly scary.”

The Nun II will be released on September 7. The story follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun. Taissa Farmiga returns as Sister Irene, joined again by Jonas Bloquet as Maurice, along with Storm Reid as Sister Debra, Anna Popplewell as Kate and Bonnie Aarons (reprising her role from The Nun), surrounded by an ensemble cast of international talent.