When a movie like The Conjuring breaks as many box office records as it did, it’s no surprise that studios are now clamoring to put a sequel into production to capitalize on the dynamite success. With that in mind, it didn’t come as a shock to anyone when New Line announced plans for The Conjuring 2 a few months back, reacting to the tremendous numbers and phenomenal reviews regarding James Wan’s terrifying blockbuster masterpiece. It’d be silly not take advantage of one of the most successful horror movies in recent memory, right?
It looks like New Line and WB agree with that sentiment, as news broke today that The Conjuring will not only be getting a sequel, but it’ll also receive a spin-off companion piece titled Annabell, focusing on the titular doll that the Warrens acquired on a previous case. We get a little bit of her backstory when The Conjuring opens up, as the Warrens explain the case during a presentation, but the spin-off film will assumedly focus on the Annabell doll and the true horrors that surround the malevolent presence tied to it.
There’s no real information on what the script will detail, or how involved Ed and Lorraine Warren will be, but we do know that the Hayes brothers won’t be scripting Annabell because they’re currently working on a draft for The Conjuring 2. New Line doesn’t really want to put either project on hold, so it looks like they’ll bring in other writers and simultaneously work on the two paranormal mysteries.
We also know that The Conjuring‘s Director of Photography, John R. Leonetti (The Butterfly Effect 2/Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), will be stepping in to direct Annabell, as New Line hopes to convince James Wan to come back and direct The Conjuring 2. As we all know, Wan recently proclaimed he’s done directing horror movies, and he’s currently filming Fast And Furious 7, so I highly doubt he’ll be back to conjure up some more scares – but that doesn’t mean New Line still isn’t going to throw an offer his way anyway. The Conjuring 2 is moving ahead with or without Wan according to the studio, so we’ll know shortly if James has seriously directed his last horror movie.
Either way, I’m super excited to see The Conjuring becoming a full-blown franchise. Annabell’s presence in The Conjuring begged for her own story, as she wasn’t the main malevolent force haunting the Perrons and was forced to share screen time with another evil force. Just look into those dead, soulless eyes – there’s something about that doll I can’t shake for the life of me. Yeah, I’d say she deserves her very own horror film.
With Annabell aiming for a Spring 2014 shoot, you can expect to see the announcements start to roll out pretty soon concerning who might be writing this spooky story and just how they aim to create some new doll-based terror. It’s good to see that The Conjuring 2 is still a priority, but if Annabell’s story is anywhere near as engrossing as The Conjuring, I’ll be one happy horror fan. Let’s see what Wan’s trusted DP can do with this creepy puppet!
What do you think – are the studios rushing to cash in on The Conjuring, or will this newly announced spin-off be a worthwhile horror film?