Though fellow frightener Ouija beat The Conjuring spinoff Annabelle to the punch by releasing its horrifying first trailer yesterday, there’s just no way to tell which horror flick will be the most effective at earning filmgoers’ screams this October. Now, however, Annabelle has jumped back into the spotlight with its first preview, a very creepy but still mysterious look at the film.
For those of you who didn’t see The Conjuring (and I can’t imagine there are many of you, considering that movie made over $315 million worldwide, exceptionally good for an R-rated horror film), Annabelle centers on the haunted doll who menaced The Conjuring‘s protagonists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), and eventually their young daughter. The spinoff’s trailer takes an interesting tack, however, showing the doll’s blood-soaked origins without revealing the main characters.
Regardless, the video is still a very creepy first look at the movie, filled with the same chilling cinematography that made The Conjuring so effective at earning our screams. That’s not too surprising, considering The Conjuring lenser John R. Leonetti is directing Annabelle.
The film, written by Gary Dauberman (who did uncredited rewrites on A Nightmare on Elm Street and Final Destination 5), will star Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton as the two individuals who become wrapped up in Annabelle’s web of murder and destruction. Eric Ladin, Brian Howe and Alfre Woodard all co-star.
Personally, I’m more excited for Annabelle than Ouija. The two films took very different approaches in their first trailers, with Ouija loading on the jump-out scares and gross-out visuals and Annabelle taking a more subtle and creepy path to its big freak-out image. Though Ouija‘s cast, including Bates Motel star Olivia Cooke, is excellent, I’m worried the film just blew its load too early with that preview. Annabelle, on the other hand, hasn’t even shown us the main plot yet, and I’m already nervous (in a good way).
Annabelle will hit theaters October 3rd.