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‘Annabelle Comes Home’: The Horror News Network Review

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No horror franchise in the last decade has been as profitable as James Wan’s The Conjuring empire.  Ever since The Conjuring was released in 2013, anything associated with the ever-expanding tales from the files of renowned ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren have been a license to print money, accounting for over $1.5 billion in worldwide sales.

And if the Conjuring-verse has an MVP, it is undoubtedly the porcelain-faced devil-doll known as Annabelle.  Ever since she was introduced in a vignette at the start of the original Conjuring film, it was pretty clear that she would go on to bigger and better things.  With three films to her name, she is one of the most easily recognizable faces of the horror genre for a whole generation of fans whose first cinematic scares came at her expense. read more

Get Ready for Chris Rock’s ‘Saw’ Reboot!

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First we had comedian Jordan Peele jumping into the horror genre with 2017’s Get Out and then funny-man Danny McBride stepped in with 2018’s Halloween and now Chris Rock is here to show that he’s got something to say as well as he has written a reboot for Saw. According to Deadline, Chris Rock pitched his “reimagining” to Lionsgate and they loved it.

Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake said, “When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins-off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in. Saw is one of the highest grossing horror franchises of all-time and it’s one of Lionsgate’s most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind bending and intense as all the previous Saw films. Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision and passion for this classic horror franchise.” Chris Rock added that, ““I’ve been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004 [and] I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place.” read more

James Wan & Gary Dauberman to Bring Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’ to the Big Screen

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James Wan and Gary Dauberman- the creative team behind numerous entries in The Conjuring cinematic universe- are setting their sights on world of vampires. Their latest project involves bringing Stephen King’s 1975 classic novel, Salem’s Lot to the silver screen. The Hollywood Reporter says that Wan will produce the film and Dauberman will serve as screenwriter and executive producer.

Wan and Dauberman first collaborated in 2014 on the first The Conjuring spinoff, Annabelle. Wan produced the film and Dauberman wrote the script. This arrangement continued with Annabelle: Creation and The Nun; and now Dauberman will also direct the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home. There is currently no director announced for Salem’s Lot.  read more

Screenwriter Announced for ‘The Nun’ Sequel

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The wildly successful Conjuring films have spawned a number of “spin-off” films including the Annabelle series and The Nun; now that I think of it, The Conjuring is kind of like the modern horror world’s answer to Happy Days…which I guess means that Annabelle is Joanie Loves Chachi and The Nun is Laverne & Shirley?

Anyway, Deadline has announced that the process of hiring a screenwriter to pen the sequel to 2018’s The Nun has come to a close with the hiring of Akela Cooper (Hell Fest, American Horror Story). Cooper will put her horror skills to work in following up on the story about the nun possessed by the demon Valak who first reared her ugly mug in 2016’s The Conjuring 2. read more

‘Annabelle Comes Home’ Trailer Features The Demonic Doll and Some of Her New Friends

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The latest entry in The Conjuring franchise features not only the MVP of the group, that porcelain-faced rascal Annabelle, but a host of new and old friends in Gary Dauberman’s directing debut, Annabelle Comes Home.

The first trailer for the sixth entry in New Line’s cash cow puts the focus directly on the Warren’s world famous museum and many of the denizens contained within.  Annabelle, as the ring leader, stirs up the rest of those haunted and demonic critters and it appears that “all Hell breaks loose” while Ed and Lorraine are away investigating a case (and when will those baby sitters ever learn to stop snooping around that house). read more

Full Trailer for ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ Released

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Following in the foot steps of other recent supernatural horror hits,  Warner Brothers/Newline Cinema recently released the first full trailer for director Michael Chaves’ scary, weeping woman tale, The Curse of La Llorona.  As evidenced by the trailer, you better stay off of the high way, and don’t even think of taking a bath!

The film is based on a figure from Mexican folklore that drowned her children in a fit of jealous rage, only to be turned into a wandering, vengeful spirit for her terrible sins.  How much of the story will be used in the film is anyone’s guess (although I’d guess not much). read more

James Wan Says His ‘Batman’ Horror Movie ‘Was Kind of Real for 2 Seconds’

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Horror hero turned big budget hitmaker James Wan is making the press rounds as the domestic theatrical release date for Aquaman draws near. While he began his career with hot horror properties like Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, the director has since flexed his filmmaking muscles with big budget mainstream projects like Furious 7 and the upcoming aquatic superhero adventure starring Jason Momoa. It turns out, though, that Aquaman isn’t the only DC property Wan originally considered when pitching ideas to Warner Bros. Pictures, and a horror version of Batman was once a glimmer in his eye for a brief period of time. read more

DC Universe Officially Announce Mears, Bean Added to ‘Swamp Thing’

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The swamp just added some elite company.  According to their official Twitter account (see below), the DC Universe has announced that genre veterans Derek Mears and Andy Bean have joined the cast of the upcoming series adaptation of Swamp Thing.  DC is continuing to add to its stable of content for their new streaming service, with the exclusive series Titans already four episodes in to its initial run on the network.

For Swamp Thing, based on the comic book which debuted in 1971 but rose to prominence in the mid-80’s after legendary writer Alan Moore took the reins, this will be the second attempt at a television series.  In the early 1990’s, the USA network hosted a live action adaptation starring Dick Durock and Mark Lindsay Chapman which ran for three seasons.  The current Swamp Thing project boasts a robust and impressive cast already for DC.  Mears and Bean will be joining the already-announced roster of Jennifer Beals (The Grudge 2), Virginia Madsen (Candyman), Will Patton (2018’s Halloween) and Crystal Reed (MTV’s Teen Wolf.) read more

Trailer and Poster Art Debuts for Producer James Wan’s ‘The Curse of La Llorona’

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Director James Wan’s next movie in theaters may be the superhero flick, Aquaman, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have any more scares up his sleeve! Wan will return to his old haunt, the horror genre- where he achieved great success with films like Saw, The Conjuring, and Insidious– as a producer of The Curse of La Llorona. Even though he isn’t directing, Wan’s influence can be clearly seen in the movie’s first teaser trailer and poster, including creepy trees, dusty old dresses, and screaming big-mouthed creepers. Accompanied by the tagline, “SHE WANTS YOUR CHILDREN,” the film is loosely based on a creepy character of Mexican folklore (in the same way that the porcelain monster in the Annabelle franchise is loosely based on a haunted Raggedy Ann doll in the Warrens’ museum). read more

Untitled ‘Annabelle’ Sequel Adds Mckenna Grace

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According to Deadline, Mckenna Grace has signed on to play Judy, the young daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren in the upcoming Annabelle sequel. The third film in the Annabelle franchise is said to focus on the interaction between the evil doll and Judy.

Gary Dauberman (IT) will write and make his directorial debut on the project with Peter Safran and James Wan producing. The untitled project marks the sixth film in The Conjuring Universe, which has been a massive box office success, grossing more than $1.5 billion worldwide. read more