It’s official: Ed and Lorraine Warren will make their return toThe Conjuringuniverse inAnnabelle 3. The upcoming spin-off was officially announced over the summer during San Diego Comic-Con and, given the movie’s premise, it was expected that the Warrens would be returning. But now it’s been confirmed that both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will be back dealing with the paranormal happenings they’ve been tackling since 2013.
According to a new report, bothPatrick Wilsonas Ed Warren andVera Farmigaas Lorraine Warren will appear, albeit in a supporting capacity, inAnnabelle 3. As opposed to how they were used inThe Conjuringmovies, the paranormal experts will be minor players in a story involving their youngest daughter Judy, to be played byCaptain Marvelstar McKenna Grace, and her babysitter/cousin. This also marks the first time that the characters will appear in one of the spin-off movies, which is significant. They haven’t appeared on screen since The Conjuring 2 was released in 2016.
The story ofAnnabelle 3will center on Judy, who is being looked after by her older cousin and one of her friends, whileEd and Lorraine Warrenare gone. After they leave, the possessed doll begins wreaking havoc in the Warren’s little museum of horrors, which we’ve seen previously inThe Conjuring. It essentially turns into a horror version ofNight at the Museum, which sounds like it could be something totally different and a ton of fun. Based on what we know of the plot, it appears as though Ed and Lorraine will probably bookend the movie, both before they leave their daughter and upon their return.
Gary Dauberman, who has penned several entries in the franchise, including this year’sThe Nun, not only wrote the script for the upcoming spin-off, but he’s also set to make his directorial debut. Dauberman wrote the first two Annabelle spin-offs, including last year’s well-liked hit Annabelle: Creation, as well asITand next year’s IT: Chapter 2.The Nun, despite not going over well (generally speaking) with critics, wound up becoming the highest-grossing entry in the franchise to date with $359 million worldwide so far.The guy knows how to write a hit, that much is certain, so why not give him a crack at directing. James Wan, who directed the first two main Conjuring entries, will produce, as he’s done with the past few entries.
At the present time,Annabelle 3does not have an official title, nor has it been given a release date by Warner Bros. However, it’sexpected that the movie will debut in 2019, as production is scheduled to begin any day now. Beyond that,The Conjuring 3is finally moving forward as well, asThe Curse of La Lloronadirector Michael Chaves officially boarded the project recently. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as more details on the project are made available. This news was first reported byDeadline.
