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As the filmmaker who launched the Saw and Insidious franchises, James Wan is no stranger to creating a horror hit. But his work on The Conjuring franchise is a next-level success. The filmmaker launched New Line Cinema's series of box office champs with The Conjuring back in 2013, and in the years since, he's crafted a shared universe of horrors, returning for The Conjuring 2 in 2016, and producing a series of spinoff films like Annabelle and The Nun. With the latest installment, Annabelle Comes HomeConjuring-verse screenwriting fav Gary Dauberman makes his directorial debut, and Wan's franchise comes full circle by bringing Annabelle and the Warrens (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) back together again.

Set soon after the events of the first Conjuring film, Annabelle Comes Home picks up with the Warrens and their young daughter Judy (McKenna Grace) after they lock the demonic doll away in their artifact room. But when they head off for a quick trip, leaving Judy at home with her babysitter, Annabelle comes out to play, acting like a beacon for all the other terrifying relics in the room.

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Image via Warner Bros.

With Annabelle Comes Home now in theaters, I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a quick chat with Wan to talk about the film and his upcoming  Aquaman spinoff The Trench. Wan discussed how they approached bringing Conjuring franchise favorites back together for Annabelle Comes Home, what he looks for in filmmakers he produces for, what made Dauberman the right guy to direct the latest installment in the Conjuring series, and how he's taking cues from the Conjuring-verse in developing The TrenchYou can watch the full interview in the video above and below, you'll find an index of the topics we discussed followed by the official synopsis for the film.

James Wan:

  • How did they approach making the Fast Five of the Conjuring-verse and bringing franchise favorites back together?
  • What does he look for in filmmakers he works with and what made Gary Dauberman the right person to direct Annabelle Comes Home?
  • How is his Aquaman spinoff taking cues from the Conjuring franchise?

Here's the official synopsis:

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing.  But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.

For more on James Wan and Annabelle Comes Home, be sure to check out the links below:

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Image via New Line Cinema
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Image via New Line Cinema

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