Annabelle: Creation

A dollmaker named Samuel Mullins and his wife Esther grieve for the loss of their seven-year-old daughter Annabelle, nicknamed "Bee", who dies when she accidentally steps in front of a car.

Twelve years later, the Mullins open their home to provide shelter for Sister Charlotte and six girls left homeless by the closing of their orphanage. Despite having been warned to avoid Bee's locked bedroom, Janice, a young orphan disabled by polio, discovers a note saying "Find me" and sneaks into the room, which has mysteriously become unlocked. She finds a key for Bee's closet and opens it, where she sees an eerie porcelain doll. This unwittingly releases a powerful demon that begins to terrorize the girls.

One night, the demon, taking Bee's form, appears to Janice, saying that it wants her soul. Although she attempts to get away using a stairlift, the demon recalls the stairlift and hurls her violently down to the ground floor, leaving her severely injured and confined to a wheelchair. With Janice now confined to the first floor, her best friend Linda is now having to sleep alone and is tormented by the demon.

One morning, the demon, posing as Sister Charlotte, wheels Janice into the old barn, where, in the form of Bee, it attacks and possesses her after throwing up black bile directly into Janice's mouth. Linda notices changes in Janice's behavior and tells Samuel that Janice snuck into Bee's room and found the doll. Samuel immediately believes Linda and heads inside where he comes across Janice, who can now walk. Janice transforms into the demon and brutally kills Samuel who follows her while holding a crucifix, forcing him to drop it after moving his fingers backwards one by one. Outside, Sister Charlotte hears his screams and is horrified to find him dead on the floor.

That evening Linda takes Janice's doll and throws it into the well. A strange noise comes from the well and she is almost dragged into it, but Sister Charlotte saves her. Upon returning inside to find Janice gone from the couch, Sister Charlotte wakes the orphans who go look for her as an alarmed Sister Charlotte speaks with the disfigured Esther, who is confined to her bedroom. Esther reveals that after Bee's death, they prayed to whatever entity would grant their wish to see their daughter again. An unknown entity answered their prayer and though they briefly saw Bee's spirit, the entity convinced them to transfer its essence into one of Samuel's crafted dolls. They happily agreed but soon realized they had attracted a demon looking for a human host. One night, Esther saw Bee's spirit transforming into the demon, which then gouged out her eye and resulted in her wearing a half doll-like mask to conceal her injury and the scars. Enlisting the help of priests to bless the house, they locked the doll in Bee's closet. Esther and Samuel opened their house as a shelter for orphan children to repent for their actions, but Esther now regrets it since this has provided an opportunity for the demon to look for a human host. The demon then murders Esther and attacks Sister Charlotte. While some of the orphans are able to leave the house, Linda is trapped and hides in Bee's room as the possessed Janice tries to stab her. Sister Charlotte locks Janice and the doll inside the closet.

The next day, police arrive to search the house and find only the doll, which they remove as evidence but not before Father Massey blesses the home. Sister Charlotte, Linda, and the orphans are escorted away by officers to find another new home for the orphans, while Janice escapes through a hole in the closet wall and relocates to an orphanage in Santa Monica. Still possessed, she becomes reclusive and calls herself Annabelle. Pete and Sharon Higgins soon adopt Annabelle.

Twelve years later, after being involved in devil worship, a grown-up Annabelle returns home and murders her adoptive parents, awakening Mia, who warns John about Sharon Higgins's screams.

File:Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson talk about Annabelle Creation.jpg (left) and Lulu Wilson (right) discuss Annabelle: Creation in 2017]]

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• Stephanie Sigman as Sister Charlotte
• Talitha Bateman as Janice
• Tree O'Toole as grown-up Janice / Annabelle Higgins
• Anthony LaPaglia as Samuel Mullins
• Miranda Otto as Esther Mullins
• Lulu Wilson as Linda
• Grace Fulton as Carol
• Philippa Coulthard as Nancy
• Samara Lee as Annabelle "Bee" Mullins
• Tayler Buck as Kate
• Lou Lou Safran as Tierney
• Mark Bramhall as Father Massey
• Adam Bartley as Officer Fuller
• Lotta Losten as the adoption agent
• Joseph Bishara as the Annabelle Demon
• Fred Tatasciore as the voice of the Annabelle Demon
• Brian Howe as Pete Higgins
• Kerry O'Malley as Sharon Higgins

{{div col end}}

Additionally, Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton appear in archive footage from Annabelle as Mia and John Form, respectively,{{cite web |last1=Leadbeater |first1=Alex |title=Annabelle: Creation Ending & Post-Credits Scenes Explained |url=https://screenrant.com/annabelle-creation-post-credits-scenes-ending-explained-nun-movie/2/ |website=Screen Rant |access-date=September 3, 2018 |date=August 11, 2017}} and Bonnie Aarons reprises her role from The Conjuring 2 as the demon nun Valak in an uncredited appearance.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Rosie |last2=Armitage |first2=Hugh |title=The Conjuring Universe explained – The Conjuring 3, Annabelle, The Nun, The Crooked Man and more |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/the-conjuring/feature/a846502/conjuring-universe-conjuring-3-annabelle-the-nun-the-crooked-man/ |access-date=September 3, 2018 |work=Digital Spy |date=August 30, 2018}}

In October 2015, it was confirmed that an Annabelle sequel was in development.{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/annabelle-2/ |title='Annabelle 2' is on the Way, So Burn Your Doll Collection Now |website=/Film |first=Jacob |last=Hall |date=October 19, 2015}} David F. Sandberg replaced Annabelle{{'}}s John R. Leonetti as the sequel's director in March 2016.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/annabelle-2-lights-out-director-david-sandberg-1201736596/ |title='Annabelle 2' Draws 'Lights Out' Director David Sandberg |website=Variety |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=March 22, 2016}} He has described himself as a fan of the franchise, especially the first one, since they were "more of a classic, old-school horror movie in many ways".{{cite web |url=https://www.moviefone.com/2017/08/08/annabelle-creation-director-david-sandberg/ |title=David Sandberg on the Horror Inspiration Behind 'Annabelle: Creation' |first=Drew |last=Taylor |website=Moviefone |date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}} James Wan and New Line Cinema approached Sandberg to helm the sequel during the post-production on Lights Out, after they were impressed by the early cuts of the film. Sandberg and Wan had met each other during production of Lights Out, as the movie was produced by Wan's Atomic Monster. Sandberg did not want to direct another formulaic horror sequel but, after reading the script and realizing how it deviated from the first film, he agreed to direct it.{{cite web |url=http://www.silverscreenbeat.com/david-f-sandberg-annabelle-interview/6822 |title=David F. Sandberg on 'Annabelle: Creation:' 'It really felt like something I could make my own' |first=Matt |last=Casillas |website=Silver Screen Beat |date=August 7, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was attracted to it as it was a standalone film, which granted him more creative freedom. The fact that it was a period piece made it more appealing to him. The first film's screenwriter, Gary Dauberman, returned to write the script, with Peter Safran and James Wan returning to produce. In March 2017, Sandberg revealed the film would be a prequel to the original Annabelle film, titled Annabelle: Creation.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/annabelle-2-title-revealed-by-director-989862 |title='Annabelle 2' Director Reveals Horror Sequel's Title |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 29, 2017 |access-date=March 30, 2017}}

Sandberg drew references from the look of the 1963 psychological horror film The Haunting, due to its use of CinemaScope cinematography, and cited the score of The Shining as the biggest inspiration for the film's chilling music. He also borrowed inspiration from the "old school" feel of The Conjuring. He decided he would rely upon tension and suspense as opposed to jump scares. Unlike his debut film Lights Out, in which he meticulously crafted each scene beforehand, Sandberg took a different approach to Annabelle: Creation. With Annabelle, he "was inspired by the set and moment" and so did not prepare with extensive storyboards or diagrams, instead relying on the mantra, "We'll figure it out on set together. We'll make it work."

Sandberg softened some of Annabelle's features to make her more believable as a child's toy, having the cheeks filled-out and fixing her overbite.{{cite web |url=http://amp.usatoday.com/story/543202001/ |title='Annabelle: Creation': The 'true' story of the evil doll star |first=Bryan |last=Alexander |website=USA Today |date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817085029/http://amp.usatoday.com/story/543202001/ |archive-date=August 17, 2017 |url-status=dead }} He found shooting with the doll challenging since the object was immobile, and he needed to use other objects—such as a sheet—to make her move around. An exorcist, Father Robert, was a consultant on the film.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/annabelle-creation-makers-hired-an-actual-exorcism-expert/ |title=Annabelle: Creation makers hired an actual exorcism expert |first=Rachel |last=Weber |date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2017}}

File:Stephanie Sigman and David F Sandberg talk about Annabelle Creation.jpg and David F. Sandberg discuss Annabelle: Creation in 2017]]

In June 2016, Talitha Bateman, Miranda Otto, and Stephanie Sigman were cast to star in the film.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/stephanie-sigman-annabelle-2-spectre-1201801416/ |title='Spectre' Actress Stephanie Sigman to Star in 'Annabelle' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE) |website=Variety |first=Justin |last=Kroll |date=June 22, 2016 |access-date=June 22, 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/maggie-grace-supercon-category-5-talitha-bateman-annabelle-2-1201779256/ |title=Maggie Grace Joins Comedy Heist Pic 'Supercon'; Talitha Bateman Joins 'Annabelle 2' |website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Ross A. |last=Lincoln |date=June 24, 2016 |access-date=June 28, 2016}} Bateman and fellow child actresses Lulu Wilson and Samara Lee had all seen The Exorcist, and Samara was named after Samara Morgan from The Ring, so despite working on a horror movie, none of the young actresses were disturbed by the film's subject, although some of them did state that they were unsettled by the doll. They said that they did not feel tension or fear throughout production, and Sandberg remarked that the only challenge in working with them was restrictions in terms of hours on the set—such as they could not work after midnight or work overtime—since they were under age.{{cite web |url=http://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/annabelle-creation-director-david-f-sandberg-horror-news-network-interview/ |title='Annabelle: Creation' Director David F. Sandberg: The Horror News Network Interview |first=Nick |last=Banks |website=Horror News Network |date=August 7, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}} Bateman was one of the actresses that James Wan had considered for the role of Janet in The Conjuring 2. However, the part eventually went to Madison Wolfe. Since the script demanded a group of children, they brought Bateman in to audition, having been impressed by her screen tests previously.{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/movies/2017/08/07/james-wan-annabelle-creation-conjuring-3/amp/ |title=James Wan gives update on The Conjuring 3 |first=Clark |last=Collins |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=August 7, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}} Her brother, Gabriel Bateman, starred in Sandberg's Lights Out. Wilson auditioned for the role of Linda because she wanted to play a horror protagonist, having played an antagonist in Ouija: Origin of Evil. Creation marked her third time starring in a horror film, following Deliver Us from Evil and Ouija.{{cite web |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/245345/annabelle-creation-exclusive-interview-lulu-wilson/ |title=Annabelle: Creation – Exclusive Interview with Lulu Wilson |first=Staci Layne |last=Wilson |website=Dread Central |date=August 7, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}}

Anthony LaPaglia agreed to star in the film after his 14-year-old daughter overheard him talking on the phone about the movie and responded enthusiastically to her father taking the role.{{cite web |url=http://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2105465/annabelle-creation-director-david-f-sandbergs-horror-inspirations |title=Annabelle: Creation director David F. Sandberg's horror inspirations and how he brings fresh twists to the genre |first=Kavita |last=Daswani |website=South China Morning Post |date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=August 7, 2017}} He has described his character as "a mysterious, quiet-yet-gruff man who is mourning both the loss of his daughter and the medical degeneration of his wife. The young orphans who move into the now-dilapidated house fear him."{{cite web |url=http://www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20170806/anthony-lapaglia-coaxed-into-taking-horror-role-in-creation |title=Anthony LaPaglia coaxed into taking horror role in 'Creation' |first=Cindy |last=Pearlman |website=The Columbus Dispatch |date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=August 7, 2017 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913064522/http://www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20170806/anthony-lapaglia-coaxed-into-taking-horror-role-in-creation |url-status=dead }} To get into character, he did not mingle with the young actresses very much on set. He would intentionally distance himself from them so that during filming they would naturally not like him very much.{{cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/lapaglia-otto-scare-in-new-annabelle-film/news-story/a6c0f65c75fa0a6a66a4417423c35b96 |title=LaPaglia, Otto scare in new Annabelle film |first=Peter |last=Mitchell |website=The Australian |date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}}

Principal photography began on June 27, 2016, in Los Angeles, California, at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank lot,{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3397064/set-annabelle-2/ |title=Even More Dolls On the Set of 'Annabelle 2' |website=Bloody Disgusting |first=Brad |last=Miska |date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2016}}{{cite web |url=https://joblo.com/horror-movies/news/the-annabelle-2-cast-expands-as-filming-begins-770 |title=The Annabelle 2 Cast Expands as Filming Begins |website=Joblo |first=Cody |last=Hamman |date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2016}} and concluded on August 15, 2016.{{cite tweet |number=765377507096788996 |title=That's a wrap on Annabelle 2! Thank you to the awesome cast and crew! In theaters May 2017. |first=David F. |last=Sandberg |user=ponysmasher |date=August 15, 2016 |access-date=August 16, 2016}} The film received California film and television tax credits in the amount of $2.4{{nbsp}}million after spending $17.4{{nbsp}}million in the state.{{Cite journal |date=August 2018 |title=2017 Feature Film Study |url=https://adobeindd.com/view/publications/a37957cb-d3a4-497c-9a45-eb7dd9abe6a1/n34l/publication-web-resources/pdf/2017_film_study.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207223658/https://adobeindd.com/view/publications/a37957cb-d3a4-497c-9a45-eb7dd9abe6a1/n34l/publication-web-resources/pdf/2017_film_study.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 7, 2022 |journal=FilmL.A. Feature Film Study }} Sandberg decided to use Steadicam and tracking shots, because of the film's period setting, and he wanted to maintain the "old school" feel of the first two The Conjuring films. According to Sandberg, he does not believe in ghosts or demonic entities, saying, "I haven't experienced anything in life that would lead me to believe they exist". Sandberg reported that actress Stephanie Sigman, who played Sister Charlotte, was "a little bit freaked out by that doll" and, after hearing that a priest had blessed the set of The Conjuring 2, requested the same ritual be performed for this film.{{cite news |url=http://m.torontosun.com/2017/08/05/annabelle-creation-director-david-f-sandberg-recounts-his-hollywood-horror-story |title='Annabelle: Creation' director David F. Sandberg recounts his Hollywood horror story |first=Mark |last=Daniell |newspaper=Toronto Sun |date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=August 7, 2017}}

{{Main|Annabelle: Creation (soundtrack){{!}}Annabelle: Creation (soundtrack)}}

On November 23, 2016, Benjamin Wallfisch was hired to compose the music for the film.{{cite web |title=Benjamin Wallfisch To Score 'Annabelle 2' |url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2016/11/23/benjamin-wallfisch-to-score-annabelle-2/ |access-date=August 2, 2017 |website=Film Music Reporter |date=November 23, 2016}}

In July 2017, Warner Bros. Pictures, in conjunction with James Wan, announced the "My Annabelle Creation" competition as promotion for the then-upcoming film Annabelle: Creation. Participants of the competition were to shoot a short film which would "feel like (it) could exist within the established Conjuring world", with the winning films' directors winning a trip to Los Angeles to meet with David F. Sandberg, the director of Annabelle: Creation, and a New Line Cinema's executive.{{cite press release |url=https://www.myannabellecreation.com |website=MyAnnabelleCreation.com |title=My Annabelle Creation Film Contest |access-date=September 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104020947/http://www.myannabellecreation.com/ |archive-date=November 4, 2017 |url-status=dead }} The entry deadline was July 27, 2017, with five separate competition winners being selected from the United States (The Nurse), the United Kingdom (The Confession), Mexico (What's Wrong With Mom?), Sweden (Blund's Lullaby) and Colombia (Innocent Souls).{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/conjuring-short-film-nurse/ |title=Watch The Conjuring Short Film 'The Nurse' |website=Screen Rant |first=Michael |last=Kennedy |date=August 17, 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/ponysmasher/status/898206113773912065 |title=Check out the US winner of the My Annabelle Creation Short Competition! Stay tuned for winners from MX, CO, UK & SE! |website=Twitter |first=David |last=F. Sandberg |date=August 17, 2017 |access-date=September 28, 2018}}

The film was originally set for release on May 19, 2017,{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/ben-affleck-live-by-night-release-date-annabelle-2-1201736057/ |title=Ben Affleck's Crime Drama 'Live by Night,' 3 More Warner Bros. Films Dated for 2017 |website=Variety |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=March 22, 2016}} but was pushed back to August 11, 2017, to avoid competition with Alien: Covenant.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/warner-bros-makes-2017-schedule-changes-to-king-arthur-chips-annabelle-2-more-1201865708/ |title=Warner Bros. Makes 2017 Schedule Changes To 'King Arthur', 'CHiPS', 'Annabelle 2' & More |website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |date=December 6, 2016 |access-date=December 6, 2016}} The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 19, 2017.

The film was released on Digital HD on October 17, 2017, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 24, 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/7952/annabelle-creation |title=Annabelle: Creation DVD Release Date October 24, 2017 |website=DVDs Release Dates}} It was included in a May 2022 Blu-ray collection along with other The Conjuring Universe movies.{{Citation |title=The Conjuring Universe 7-Film Collection Blu-ray (The Nun / Annabelle: Creation / Annabelle / The Conjuring / Annabelle Comes Home / The Conjuring 2 / The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Conjuring-Universe-7-Film-Collection-Blu-ray/314986/ |access-date=September 4, 2022}} WaterTower Music released the soundtrack album on August 4, 2017.{{cite web |title='Annabelle: Creation' Soundtrack Details |url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2017/08/02/annabelle-creation-soundtrack-details/ |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=Film Music Reporter |date=August 2, 2017}}

Annabelle: Creation grossed $102.1{{nbsp}}million in the United States and Canada and $204.4{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $306.5{{nbsp}}million, against a production budget of $15{{nbsp}}million. With its release, it pushed The Conjuring franchise past the $1{{nbsp}}billion threshold, making it only the third horror series to cross that mark, after the Alien franchise and Resident Evil series. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film made a net profit of $108.7{{nbsp}}million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/movie-profit-2017-baby-driver-wonder-split-annabelle-creation-girls-trip-1202354131/ |title=Small Movies, Big Profits: 2017 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=March 29, 2018 |access-date=March 29, 2018}}

In North America, the film was released alongside The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature and The Glass Castle, and was projected to gross around $30{{nbsp}}million from 3,502 theaters in its opening weekend.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/annabelle-creation-nutjob-2-dunkirk-box-office-preview-1202145555/ |title='Annabelle: Creation' Will Be This Summer's Last Scream At The B.O. With Estimated $30M+ Opening – Preview |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 9, 2017}} The film grossed $4{{nbsp}}million from its Thursday night previews, the highest of The Conjuring series and double the original Annabelle{{'}}s $2.1{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/box-office/box-office-annabelle-creation-nabs-4-million-in-thursday-pre-shows-1202523758/ |title=Box Office: 'Annabelle: Creation' Nabs $4{{nbsp}}million on Thursday Night|first=Brent|last=Lang|website=Variety|date=August 11, 2017}} It went on to open to $35{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/annabelle-creation-dark-tower-dunkirk-1202147007/ |title=New Line's Dollhouse Of Dough: 'Annabelle: Creation' Opening To $35M |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 13, 2017}} In its second weekend, the film dropped 55.7% to earn another $15.5{{nbsp}}million, which was a smaller second-weekend drop than Annabelle (57%) and The Conjuring 2 (63%), and the best second-weekend hold of the franchise since the initial Conjuring film (46%).{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/hitmans-bodyguard-logan-lucky-annabelle-creation-august-box-office-opening-1202152509/ |title='Hitman's Bodyguard' Flexes Muscle With $21M+ Opening During Sleepy Summer Weekend |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 20, 2017 |access-date=August 20, 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/08/20/box-office-annabelle-creation-dips-just-56-for-15-5m-weekend/ |title=Box Office: 'Annabelle: Creation' Dips Just 56% For $15.5M Weekend |first=Scott |last=Mendelson |website=Forbes |date=August 20, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2017}}

Outside North America, the film was released to positive reception from international audiences, which is reflected in its box office performance. It broke several opening records for the horror genre as well as for the studio and came in ahead of The Conjuring and Annabelle in many markets. The week prior to its domestic release, the film debuted in Italy at number one, with $1.1{{nbsp}}million.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/wolf-warriors-2-war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-dunkirk-despicable-me-3-franchise-record-weekend-results-china-international-box-office-1202143448/ |title=China 'Wolf' Howls At $470M; 'Apes' Swings To $148M Offshore; 'Dunkirk' Channels $314M WW – International Box Office |first=Nancy |last=Tartaglione |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=August 7, 2017}} It earned $35.4{{nbsp}}million on its opening weekend from 39 markets, almost on par with its domestic debut and marking the second-biggest international opening in the franchise, behind only The Conjuring 2. Overall, the film was number two at the international box office after Wolf Warrior 2.{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/wolf-warrior-2-annabelle-creation-dunkirk-spider-man-homecoming-weekend-results-international-box-office-1202147805/ |title='Wolf' Whistles To $685M; 'Annabelle' Conjures $35M+; 'Spider-Man' Leaps Past $700M WW – International Box Office |first=Nancy |last=Tartaglione |magazine=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 15, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2017}} The film expanded to 56 markets in its sophomore weekend, adding a handful of major markets and thereby topping the worldwide chart for the first time with an estimated $42{{nbsp}}million.{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/despicable-me-franchise-top-ani-franchise-internationally-wonder-woman-800-million-worldwide-wolf-warrior-2-china-hitmans-bodyguard-logan-lucky-1202152524/ |title=Universal $3B+ As 'Despicable' Franchise Takes Ani Crown; 'Wolf Warrior 2' Bests 'Avatar' Record – International Box Office |first=Anita |last=Busch |magazine=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 21, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2017}}{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/international-box-office-annabelle-creation-wolf-warriors-2-1202534011/ |title='Annabelle: Creation' Usurps China's 'Wolf Warriors II' at International Box Office |first=Seth |last=Kelley |magazine=Variety |date=August 21, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2017}}

It recorded the highest opening weekend in the franchise in 26 markets and the biggest launch for a horror film of all time in Sweden, Poland, Portugal, India, Malaysia ($2.2{{nbsp}}million), the UAE ($1.1{{nbsp}}million) and Vietnam. The top openings came from Mexico ($8{{nbsp}}million), Korea ($6.7{{nbsp}}million), and India ($9.8{{nbsp}}million). In South Korea, the film grossed $1.2{{nbsp}}million from Thursday previews.{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-annabelle-creation-conjures-up-4m-thursday-1028756 |title=Weekend Box Office: 'Annabelle: Creation' Terrifying Competition With $36M-Plus Debut |first1=Rebecca |last1=Ford |first2=Pamela |last2=McClintock |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 12, 2017}} Despite its South Korean release falling during diplomatic tensions, it ultimately opened there with $6.7{{nbsp}}million, as the number-one foreign release and the third-highest-grossing movie overall behind local films A Taxi Driver and Midnight Runners.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who noted it as an improvement over its predecessor.{{cite web |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/annabelle-creation-is-a-potent-prequel/ |title=Annabelle: Creation is a Potent Prequel |first=Jeff |last=Giles |website=Rotten Tomatoes |date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2017}} {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|70|6.2|191|Annabelle: Creation adds another strong chapter to the Conjuring franchise - and offers further proof that freaky-looking dolls remain reliably terrifying.|access-date=September 19, 2024|ref=y}}{{cbignore}} {{Metacritic film prose|62|29|ref=yes|access-date=September 19, 2024}}{{cbignore}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by the first Annabelle film, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4 out of 5 stars and a 56% "definite recommend".{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/annabelle-comes-home-rings-up-3-5m-in-tuesday-night-previews-1202638138/|title='Annabelle Comes Home' Now Heading To $28M In 5-Day Opening|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 27, 2019|access-date=June 27, 2019}}

Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter called it "wickedly terrifying," and said it was "closer in tone and old-school psychological fright tactics to the original film than either The Conjuring 2 or Annabelle."{{cite web |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/review/annabelle-creation-1015053 |title='Annabelle: Creation': Film Review |first=Justin |last=Lowe |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=June 20, 2017 |access-date=August 4, 2017}} Peter Debruge of Variety, while criticising the plot, said the film nevertheless "manages to conjure some effective scares," and that "this effective yet empty-headed horror movie goes to show how eager audiences are to be scared, and how even an unsightly doll can do the trick when the spirit is willing."{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/annabelle-creation-review-1202471702/ |title=Film Review: 'Annabelle: Creation' |first=Peter |last=Debruge |website=Variety |date=June 20, 2017 |access-date=August 4, 2017}} Similarly, Chris Hewitt of Empire felt that while the "movie can't hold a flickering candle to the James Wan–directed entries in the series... it's got plenty of decent shocks, and the odd genuine surprise, up its sleeve".{{cite web |url=https://empireonline.com/movies/annabelle-creation/review/ |title=Annabelle: Creation Review |first=Chris |last=Hewitt |website=Empire |date=August 8, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}} However, Emily Yoshida of Vulture wrote that "Annabelle: Creation{{'}}s countless sequences of foreboding silence—hands reaching for doorknobs, our heroines shuddering in the dark, waiting for their demonic tormentor to attack—offer nothing to really latch on to, no larger reason to care that's not purely technical".{{cite web |url=http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/annabelle-creation-movie-review.html |title=Annabelle: Creation Proves That Slower Isn't Always Better in Horror |first=Emily |last=Yoshida |date=August 11, 2017 |work=Vulture |access-date=September 13, 2017}} Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C" grade, calling it "a mishmash of clichés and nonsense" and writing that "none of this will seem new to horror fans".{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/movies/2017/08/11/annabelle-creation-ew-review/ |title=Annabelle: Creation is a mishmash of clichés and nonsense: EW review |first=Chris |last=Nashawaty |date=August 11, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=September 13, 2017}}

{{main|Annabelle Comes Home}}

In April 2018, Warner Bros. announced July 3, 2019, as the release date for an untitled new film in The Conjuring franchise.{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/conjuring-3-just-mercy-superintelligence-release-dates |title=New Conjuring Film, Just Mercy & More Set Release Dates |first=Sandy |last=Schaefer |date=April 20, 2018 |work=Screen Rant |access-date=April 28, 2018}} Later that month, it was announced that the film would be a third Annabelle film, with Gary Dauberman signed on to write and direct, in his directorial debut. James Wan and Peter Safran co-produced the project.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/annabelle-creation-sequel-works-gary-dauberman-directing-1106622 |title='Annabelle: Creation' Sequel in the Works With Gary Dauberman Directing (Exclusive) |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=April 27, 2018 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=April 28, 2018}} In May 2019, the film's release date was changed to June 26, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/space-jam-2-release-date-godzilla-vs-kong-annabelle-sequel-warner-bros-1202562428/ |title=Warner Bros Dates Space Jam 2, Shifts Annabelle Sequel & Godzilla Vs. Kong |last=Pedersen |first=Erik |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=February 21, 2019 |access-date=February 21, 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/annabelle-creation/}}
• {{IMDb title}}

{{The Conjuring}}

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