After a dearth of enjoyable frightfests this summer, October should reward horror aficionados for their patience with a slew of promising titles. V/H/S Viral, Ouija, Housebound, Stonehearst Asylum, The ABCs of Death 2 and Horns will all be competing for moviegoers’ screams, but one title in particular seems to have the best shot at breaking out at the box office – Annabelle, a spinoff from horror hit The Conjuring that finds new characters menaced by the titular doll.
The first image from the film (above) doesn’t shed much light on what we can expect from Annabelle, which may or may not affect the events of The Conjuring 2, scheduled for October 23rd next year. Check out the synopsis below for some insight into the horrific happenings filmgoers can look forward to being petrified by.
She terrified you in “The Conjuring,” but this is where it all began for Annabelle.
Capable of unspeakable evil, the actual doll exists locked up in an occult museum in Connecticut—visited only by a priest who blesses her twice a month.
New Line Cinema’s supernatural thriller “Annabelle” begins before the evil was unleashed.
John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia—a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. But Mia’s delight with Annabelle doesn’t last long.
On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind. The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now… Annabelle.
The first trailer for the film, directed by The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti, succeeded in creeping us out, but it’s unclear how much of the actual plot that chilling first look gave away.
Though Annabelle is a spinoff from The Conjuring, it does not include Vera Farmiga or Patrick Wilson. Instead, Annabelle Wallis (X-Men: First Class) and Ward Horton (The Wolf of Wall Street) portray the Forms, with Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) also appearing as Evelyn, a neighbor who owns a bookstore and is familiar with the occult; Kerry O’Malley (Those Who Kill) and Brian Howe (Devil’s Knot) playing neighbors Sharon and Pete Higgins; Tony Amendola (Once Upon a Time) playing Father Perez; and Eric Ladin (Boardwalk Empire) taking on the smaller role of Detective Clarkin.
Annabelle opens October 3rd. Are you excited to see it?
