If you’ve had enough holiday cheer, perhaps already drank too much eggnog, eaten too many sweets, and have over-indulged with Hallmark movies,Maxhas you covered in the new year. It’s time to shake those holly jolly feelings and give yourself a classic scare with two out of the three movies fromThe ConjuringUniverse’sAnnabellefranchise arriving on January 1. While the first film of the three, aptly titledAnnabelle, isn’t on the platform at this time, the second two movies in the trilogy,Annabelle: CreationandAnnabelle Comes Home, will be waiting for audiences when they need to ditch the seasonal vibes for a little doom and gloom. And, there isn’t much to know in order to jump in without seeing the first film, asAnnabelle: Creationserves as a prequel and will cover the must-know bits and pieces behind the titular possessed doll’s origin story.
Helmed byDavid F. Sandberg,Annabelle: Creationturns the clock back from what audiences saw three years earlier inAnnabelleand explains how the demonic doll came to be. The movie features an ensemble cast that consists ofStephanie Sigman(Spectre),Miranda Otto(Chilling Adventures of Sabrina),Talitha Bateman(Vengeance: A Love Story),Lulu Wilson(Ouija: Origins of Evil) andAnthony LaPaglia(Without a Trace). Any movie to come from theJames Wan-created supernatural universehas performed well at the box office, withAnnabelle: Creationbeing no different. Clearly, audiences were excited to learn more about what made the doll tick, with the film raking in more than $306 million at the global box office. OnRotten Tomatoes, the title comes in third place for the overall Conjuring Universe, with a critics’ approval rating of 70%.
The Completed ‘Annabelle’ Trilogy
AfterAnnabelle: Creation, the team took a breather from the doll and released the first installment ofThe Nun, which would eventually lead to a sequel a few years down the line. Then, it was time to get back into the story of Annabelle, with 2019 bringingGary Dauberman’sAnnabelle Comes Home. The third movie in theAnnabellefranchise brought The Conjuring Universe back to its foundation withPatrick WilsonandVera Farmiga’s Ed and Lorraine Warren appearing as the central characters. The movie follows the pair of paranormal investigators after they’ve picked up the possessed doll and added her to their collection. From behind a shield of protective glass, they believe that Annabelle can’t do any more harm, but when she reanimates, she raises holy hell. Again, the movie was a financial success - albeit not as much as the title that came before it - earning $231.3 million at the box office. On the Rotten Tomatoes list of movies from The Conjuring Universe, it comes in just behind its predecessor in fourth place with a 64% critics’ approval rating.
Scare yourself into a solid 2025 whenAnnabelle: CreationandAnnabelle Comes Homeboth arrive on Max on January 1. If you don’t want to wait that long, the films are available to rent or buy on VOD.
Annabelle: Creation
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