Annabelle 3 Has Found The Young Girl Who Will Be Annabelle's Next Target

McKenna Grace in Gifted

Demon possessed dolls just don't stay dead like they used to. The Conjuring universe is one of the most successful modern film franchises, and it's not quite done with Annabelle just yet. Audiences learned the origins of the cursed doll in Annabelle: Creation, but now the doll will once again terrorize some poor family in Annabelle 3. The horror film as made its first casting announcement and young up and comer McKenna Grace will play one of the leads and the doll's primary target.

According to Deadline, McKenna Grace has been drafted to star in Annabelle 3. Grace will star as Judy, the young daughter of the Warrens-- the paranormal investigators at the center of the Conjuring franchise. Not much is known about the plot at this point, but Judy will become the target of Annabelle, who the Warrens have brought to their artifact room where it can do no harm. But then it does a lot of harm. The film will also follow Judy's two babysitters, because nothing bad ever happens to babysitters in horror movies.

Despite her young age, McKenna Grace is on a real career renaissance right now. She's already starred in Gifted (the Chris Evans movie, not the X-Men TV show), I, Tonya, The Bad Seed, and Designated Survivor. She's got another horror movie on deck with Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, and soon people will be able to see her in Captain Marvel as a young Carol Danvers. This kid is blowing up!

Annabelle 3 is the sequel of Annabelle: Creation, which itself was a prequel of the first Conjuring movie. That makes the period wherein Annabelle takes place a little tricky, but seeing as how the Warrens are already in possession of the doll, it takes place sometime after The Conjuring but before The Conjuring 2. There's no word if Vera Farmiga or Patrick Wilson will reprise their roles as the Warrens in Annabelle 3.

While critics poorly received the first Annabelle, it grossed over $257 million against its $6.5 million production budget. Thus another movie, Annabelle: Creation, was greenlit. The prequel received much better reviews, and grossed over $306 million worldwide. People like going to see this cursed doll, and if the pattern holds, good things are likely in store for Annabelle 3.

Gary Dauberman (the IT franchise and The Nun ) wrote the script and will make his directorial debut on the film. Annabelle 3 is currently scheduled to release on July 3, 2019. To stay up to date on the movie, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend, and we'll be sure to post new information as soon as it becomes available.

Matt Wood

Matt has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but commutes every day to New York City. He graduated from Rowan University and loves Marvel, Nintendo, and going on long hikes and then greatly wishing he was back indoors. Matt has been covering the entertainment industry for over two years and will fight to his dying breath that Hulk and Black Widow make a good couple.