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 "Annabelle," out in U.S. theaters on Friday, kicks off
October's Halloween offerings at the box office with the origin
story of a porcelain doll that masks a sinister secret, a
spin-off from last year's Warner Bros. Horror hit "The
Conjuring."
Set in 1970s California, young newlywed couple Mia and John,
played by Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton, settle into a small
house in Santa Monica.
Soon after pregnant Mia receives Annabelle, a gift from her
husband for her growing doll collection, the couple endure a
terrifying break-in, and then strange things start happening.
The couple move to a new home, but something dark follows them
and haunts their baby daughter.
"It was set in the '70s at a time where movies of the genre were
very well respected," said Wallis. "I think the element of truth
to it, that it stems from real events and whether or not you
believe in occult, there are documented things that happened."
Dolls are usually associated with innocence and playfulness, but
have been distorted into dark creatures in numerous horror
movies, such as 1987's "Dolls" and Chucky the serial killer in
1988's "Child's Play," which spawned numerous sequels.
In "The Conjuring," directed by James Wan, Annabelle is
possessed by a twisted supernatural force, and the doll's
porcelain face becomes warped into an evil grin.
"For an inanimate object, (Annabelle) really stood out and when
'The Conjuring' came out, it was validated to us how much people
loved her character," said Wan, a producer on "Annabelle."
Classic horror homages are sprinkled through "Annabelle," namely
Roman Polanski's 1968 cult horror "Rosemary's Baby," referenced
in the couple's names for actors Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.
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Wallis said she took inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's icy blonde
leading ladies, while director John Leonetti said he was influenced
by Hitchcock's use of suspense, as well as 1973's "The Exorcist" and
1976's "The Omen."
"Annabelle," made by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studios for an
estimated $5 million, is expected to earn $27 million in its opening
weekend, just behind the $31 million debut of thriller "Gone Girl,"
according to Boxoffice.com.
"Annabelle" belongs to a recent wave of paranormal films that have
edged out gory horror offerings and drawn studios back to the genre.
The "Paranormal Activity" franchise, initially independent
productions, has exemplified the success of low-budget horror that
scared up big box office sales for its distributor, Viacom-owned
Paramount Pictures.
Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures tested the waters with August's
"As Above So Below" and this month's "Ouija."
"Back in the '70s, all the great horror, scary, suspense movies were
made by the studios," Wan said, adding that he and Leonetti wanted
to "hark back to that spirit."
"We believe that you can make something that's studio quality
filmmaking, but retain what we love about this particular genre."
(This version corrects prequel to spin-off in paragraph 2)
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Cynthia Osterman)
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