This past weekend saw the much anticipated release of The Nun, the latest entry in the frightening Conjuring cinematic universe (see my review of the film here). Out of the five films released in the franchise, The Nun has been the biggest opening weekend box office success with about $131 million worldwide. It is no secret that the tales of Ed and Lorraine Warren are loved by a multitude of the genre’s faithful. It is with much excitement that we bring you some news regarding two of the next entries into the beloved franchise.
Annabelle 3
While the demon nun Valak is ruling the Conjuring universe at the moment, we do know that there will definitely be a third movie featuring the possessed doll Annabelle. Gary Dauberman (who wrote the scripts for Annabelle and the prequel Annabelle: Creation) will be back once again to pen the screenplay for the upcoming Annabelle flick. Not only is he writing the movie, but he’ll also make his directorial debut for the film. In an interview with SlashFilms, Dauberman had this to say:
“[Annabelle 3 is] going to go before cameras mid-October so I’m deep in prep on that now. We’re bringing the franchise back home after being so far away in Romania. It’s set in the Warrens’ house. It’s what happens when Annabelle comes into the artifact room. Much like Swamp Thing, what happens when Annabelle comes into the artifact room and how she affects her environment.”
When pressed on whether or not Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will be returning as famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, Dauberman only remarked: “That is a great question and we’ll have to wait and see.”
While it would certainly make sense for the Warrens to appear in a film that takes place in their own home, I guess only time will tell until we have a confirmation. Either way I am looking forward to seeing the story of Annabelle being expanded.
The Conjuring 3
While there isn’t as much to report on The Conjuring 3, it is worth point out that the film is progressing, with the probability that it will begin filming in 2019. While speaking with CinemaBlend, franchise producer Peter Safran gave this update:
“[The Conjuring 3] is actually coming along great. David Lindsay Johnson is working on the screenplay, and I feel pretty confident they will have that one up and running next year.”
While there have been absolutely no concrete facts given about the plot of the third movie, there has been a ton of speculation that it will involve the Warren’s work with Bill Ramsey. Ramsey claimed to actually turn into a werewolf. After numerous ragings and run ins with the law, the Warrens invited Ramsey to their church in Connecticut to rid the man of his Satanic lycanthropy via exorcism. I’d absolutely love to see this episode play out on the silver screen.
I’m excited to know that the franchise will continue, and that it’s in good hands. As a kid I was totally enamored with the Warrens, and have always wanted to see their infamous cases on the big screen. As someone who is typically ultra-critical of modern horror, I am a huge fan of the Conjuring series, and am looking forward to seeing everything else that is put out there.
