With his feature directorial debut, the James Wan-produced supernatural horror film LIGHTS OUT, set to reach theatres next month, director David F. Sandberg is already heading into production on his second movie, another James Wan-produced supernatural horror film: ANNABELLE 2, the sequel to the 2014 spin-off from Wan's THE CONJURING.
Written by Gary Dauberman, who also wrote the first ANNABELLE, the film will follow
a dollmaker and his wife who, 20 years after the death of their little girl, welcome a nun and several orphan girls into their home. Unfortunately, the new guests soon become the targets of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.
Last week we learned that Miranda Otto had been cast as the dollmaker's disfigured wife, with Stephanie Sigman on board to play nun Sister Charlotte. Another cast member has since been announced – joining Otto and Sigman will be 14-year-old actress Talitha Bateman as one of the orphans.
Bateman likely crossed paths with Sandberg before the ANNABELLE 2 casting process, as she's the sister of his LIGHTS OUT star Gabriel Bateman.
ANNABELLE 2 begins filming soon for a May 19, 2017 release.