Third 'Annabelle' Film Coming to Theaters Next Summer

News came out last week that a new film in the shared universe of films related to The Conjuring got a release date next summer, though what film it would be was anyone's guess. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the film will be the third installment in the Annabelle franchise, which will open on July 3, 2019.

The film will mark the directorial debut of Gary Dauberman, who has written both Annabelle films in addition to last year's IT. There's no word yet on when the film will take place, as the first Annabelle was set before the events of The Conjuring while Annabelle: Creation going back even further into the doll's history. With the possessed doll being restricted to a viewing case in The Conjuring, all we know if it will take place before the events of that film.

This new Annabelle film will be the sixth movie in the shared universe of horror films that kicked off in 2013. In addition to the two Conjuring films and two Annabelle films, this fall will also see the release of The Nun, which was inspired by one of the demonic presences from The Conjuring 2. The reveal that the upcoming film is set in the Annabelle series comes as a surprise, given both The Conjuring 3 and The Crooked Man are reportedly in the works, with no concrete details surrounding their release dates.

Last summer, David Leslie Johnson was revealed to be writing the third film in the proper Conjuring series. Johnson is no stranger to the world of James Wan's horror-verse, having previously written The Conjuring 2. Additionally, he has previously written the Nightmare on Elm Street reboot and also Orphan.

Merely weeks before Johnson was confirmed, The Crooked Man was announced, based on the English poem which reads, "There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile. /He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile. /He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse. /And they all lived together in a little crooked house."

The Nun was also written by Dauberman, which hits theaters on September 7th.

Stay tuned for details on the upcoming Annabelle film before it hits theaters on July 3, 2019.

Are you looking forward to seeing a third Annabelle movie? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T The Hollywood Reporter]