As we brace for Annabelle: Creation – the sequel to the 2014 spinoff of the 2013 horror film The Conjuring – director David F. Sandberg has taken to Twitter to confirm that there are two scenes to hang around for once the main story has finished. We don’t know what they’ll consist of just yet, but such revelations have sparked speculation about the extent to which the producers are hoping this particular narrative thread will help to build a Conjuring Universe.
Annabelle: Creation follows Annabelle, which focused on the titular haunted doll that appeared in The Conjuring. While Annabelle was released to very mixed reviews, this sequel arrives with a great deal of positive feedback already attached. It seems that the producers would agree, and have therefore, presumably, set up future instalments with a mid-credits scene, and a post-credits scene – according to David F. Sandberg.
Yes. A little mid credit thing and then another thing after all the credits. https://t.co/NV7kmwFuXe
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) August 3, 2017
The post credit scene wasn't my idea, no. But I like it.
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) August 3, 2017
What’s interesting here is the fact that, in his second tweet on the subject, Sandberg states that the credits scenes were not his idea, but that he’s happy with them all the same. This suggests that it’s indeed the producers that have their eye on the wider film universe, as opposed to Sandberg himself.
David F. Sandberg is now reportedly the director of record for the upcoming Shazam! movie for the DC Extended Universe – joining his Conjuring Universe boss, James Wan, who’s currently directing Aquaman. That being the case, it would seem that his time with this horror franchise is currently done. But, the presence of credits sequences begs the question – where does Annabelle go from here?
Annabelle: Creation is essentially an origin story for the doll that appeared in Annabelle and The Conjuring, so it’s not entirely clear where that story could now go without covering ground already trod. There are other spinoffs from The Conjuring films in development, though – most notably The Nun, which is written by James Wan and Annabelle scribe Gary Dauberman, and directed by Corin Hardy. Will the mid and post-credits scenes in Annabelle: Creation tie into The Nun – thus building greater cohesion into the overall story of the wider franchise? We’ll find out when the film’s released on August 11th.
