James Wan’s 2013 horror film The Conjuring became a global phenomenon. The film received highly positive reviews (a rarity for mainstream horror films), grossed over $US 319 million at the global box office (with a mere $US 20 million budget) and spawned an entire universe based on the stories of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, The Nun, The Curse of La Llorona). I may not be a huge fan of horror myself, but I’m glad James Wan introduced us to these legendary paranormal investigators, embodied by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.
Later this month will see the release of Annabelle Comes Home. The story will finally see Ed and Lorraine bring their horrifying possessed doll to their chamber of haunted artefacts in their house. The film will also introduce us to a third Warren, Ed and Lorraine’s daughter Judy. In conjunction with the release of the film, popular horror genre website Bloody Disgusting got the chance to sit down with the real-life Judy Spera and talk about the doll.
“Something about that [Annabelle] doll really does fascinate people. It’s sitting in a box and behind glass and sometimes her legs move and her arms move. She’s supposed to be a little girl’s cuddly toy but she’s not. I didn’t see the doll for many years and then I became very very frightened of it. My parents always told me don’t give it recognition, don’t look it in the eyes, and to this day I will not look it in the eyes. I don’t think about it. You keep making me think about it [laughs].”
The two-minute featurette also sees actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson chime in. In regards to Judy Spera and the doll, they had this to say:
Vera Farmiga: “The real-life Judy was completely paralysed with fear”
Patrick Wilson: “She still is”
Annabelle Comes Home 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.
