PopHorror Let's Get Scared
If you love The Conjuring films, you’re not alone. Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, announced this week that the franchise has passed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Annabelle: Creation, the fourth film in The Conjuring cinematic universe, pushed the series over the top. It’s quite good, by the way. You should read our review! The milestone makes the series one of highest grossing horror franchises of all time. Hell, it may even be number one!
Details From the official press release:
(August 18, 2017 – Burbank, CA) – After just one week in theaters around the globe, New Line Cinema’s Annabelle: Creation has taken in more than $110 million, not only opening in the #1 spot in numerous markets, including North America, but quickly boosting filmmaker James Wan and producer Peter Safran’s Conjuring universe of films over the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. The announcement was made today by Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
In making the announcement, Kroll said, “We are thrilled with the success of Annabelle: Creation and enormously proud to continue bringing this hugely popular ‘Conjuring’ franchise to theaters everywhere. We congratulate our colleagues at New Line Cinema, our astute marketing and distribution teams, and everyone who put their collective creative energies together to tell such wonderfully frightening stories for movie audiences around the world to enjoy.”
The press release continues:
Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, stated, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of New Line, and without question, the horror genre has always been an integral and important part of the company’s DNA. While the genre has certainly evolved over the decades, watching the critical and commercial success of The Conjuring universe has been truly spectacular and I am incredibly proud of all the talented people involved in making this happen.”
Together, New Line’s Richard Brener, President, Production, and Carolyn Blackwood, President, Content, Strategy & Operations, noted, “James Wan has a proven ability to tap into the minds of horror fans in a way few can. To reach this benchmark with just four films is truly remarkable. On behalf of everyone at New Line, we couldn’t be more excited for him, producer Peter Safran, and all the filmmakers who were so instrumental in making each of these movies so successful.”
Continued:
Individually, several of the films that make up the New Line horror-verse are among the top all-time earners at the box office, with the The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring coming in second and third in the genre, respectively, after The Exorcist, and Annabelle at number eight. The worldwide theatrical grosses for the films stand as: The Conjuring 2 at $320,373,500; The Conjuring at $319,482,193; and Annabelle at $257,047,661.
Next up in the New Line series is The Nun, based on the character appearing in The Conjuring 2. It will be directed by Corin Hardy, and is due in theaters July 13, 2018. The studio is also in active development with Atomic Monster and The Safran Company on The Conjuring 3 and The Crooked Man. The latter is also drawn on the character appearing in The Conjuring 2.
Wow! A billion dollars at the global box office! That is certainly worth issuing one of the longest press releases I’ve ever seen. It just keeps on going. Don’t believe me? You can read the rest of it here. I’m a huge fan of The Conjuring films, and I can’t wait to see The Nun, The Conjuring 3, and The Crooked Man. They’ve done a bang up job of organically building out the universe. Way better than Universal’s attempt with The Mummy, anyway!
What do you think? Are you up for more Conjuring films? I hope so! It sounds like the franchise isn’t going away any time soon.
