Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, owners of the Rhode Island home that inspired the horror movie "The Conjuring," is suing Warner Bros. due to "trespassing fans." According to the court documents seen by Entertainment Weekly, the couple said that they have been subjected to "threats of physical violence, harm, and sleepless nights." They are worried that one day, the fans of the movie who come to their property unannounced "will commit an act of destruction, violence, or harm."
"Within days of the July 19. 2013, theatrical release of 'The Conjuring,' the Property was inundated by curiosity seekers and trespassers who, at all hours of night and day, come to and onto the Property, approach and seek to enter the house, take photographs and videos, ignore the 'no trespassing' signs, fences, and barriers installed," a part of the lawsuit states, as reported by The Wrap.
The couple added that they were not notified prior to the movie's release and that they have not given their permission for the filmmakers to use their address. According to the lawsuit, the filmmakers should have considered that people would flock to their property after they have seen the thriller, as the movie promoted it to be based on a true story and published their address.
"The Conjuring" is a 2013 movie directed by James Wan and starred Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film was set during the 1970s, when Roger and Carolyn Perron, the previous owners of the Rhode Island farmhouse, reported extreme paranormal activities in the house. Ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren later discovered that the house was originally used for occult rituals.
Sutcliffe and Helfrich bought the property in 1987. According to them, they have not experienced any hauntings and "lived in peace" until the movie's release in 2013.
The movie, despite being a low-budgeted film, surprisingly became a box office hit, earning more than $137 million in the U.S. alone. Wan is reportedly currently directing "The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist," due to be released next year.
Included in the homeowners' lawsuit are Warner Bros., its offshoot New Line Cinemas, director James Wan, five individual trespassers, and up to 500 unnamed individuals. Warner Bros has not yet made any public comment.
