Last week, we learned that David F. Sandberg, who just made his feature directorial debut on the James Wan-produced LIGHTS OUT (which is based on Sandberg's viral short of the same name), is in talks to direct the sequel to 2014's ANNABELLE. Now we know what sort of time frame Sandberg would be working with, should his deal be closed.
New Line Cinema has announced that they will be releasing ANNABELLE 2 into theatres on May 19, 2017.
That gives Sandberg just under fourteen months to get the haunted doll sequel through production and post. That's not such an impossible task – the first ANNABELLE, which was a spin-off from James Wan's THE CONJURING, was released about fourteen and a half months after its predecessor. ANNABELLE did feel a bit half-baked, but at least returning screenwriter Gary Dauberman has had longer to work on the script this time.
The first ANNABELLE's synopsis:
John Form thinks he’s 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.
While we wait for ANNABELLE 2, James Wan's THE CONJURING 2 will be reaching theatres on June 10, 2016. Sandberg's LIGHTS OUT will follow on July 22.