After James Wan’s The Conjuring became one of the highest grossing horror movies ever, Warner Bros./New Line quickly spun off the franchise with Annabelle, which hit theaters one year ago.
Even though Annabelle wasn’t as critically acclaimed as Conjuring, it was a a box office monster ($246 million), so much so that scribe Gary Dauberman is returning for another sinister outing, says this tracking board.
On the other hand, their sources also confirm that Annabelle‘s director John Leonetti is unsurprisingly not returning as the search is on for a new director. The Conjuring helmer James Wan is once again producing, while Dave Neustadter and Walter Hamada oversee for New Line.
Following the superb financial and critical reception to The Conjuring, a spinoff/prequel featuring the film’s creepy mascot – the possessed doll named Annabelle- was quickly rushed into production. Loosely based on a true story, the film follows a a couple who find that their vintage doll becomes the host for a malevolent entity after their house is broken into by a satanic cult.
James Wan is currently filming his The Conjuring sequel, slated for release next summer, which sets Annabelle 2 up for release in 2017. What other demonic tricks do the Warrens have in store for us? How far can New Line push this franchise?
