Captain Marvel actress McKenna Grace has been cast in a key role in the upcoming Annabelle sequel. Grace was recently cast to play a young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and is best known for her roles in popular films like Gifted and I, Tonya. Now, she is turning her attention to the horror genre and has joined the cast of Annabelle 3.
The as of yet untitled Annabelle sequel is the third installment of the Annabelle film series of James Wan’s Conjuring horror franchise. Plans for a third Annabelle movie were first announced over the summer in July, and writer/director Gary Dauberman has said that the project is scheduled to begin filming some time in October. The next Annabelle installment will reportedly take place before the first Conjuring film and further flesh out the backstory of the creepy demonic doll that has now become the face of Wan’s horror universe.
Related: The Conjuring Universe Complete Timeline: From The Nun to The Warrens
Deadline reported on Friday that McKenna Grace has been cast in the leading role of Judy, the young daughter of the supernatural specialists Lorraine and Ed Warren. Grace’s Judy will play a core role in the film, as the character becomes the latest target of Annabelle after her parents bring the doll home in the hopes that it will not be able to do any harm locked away in their house. Dauberman explained about the film, “It really picks up with the Warrens bringing Annabelle to the place where it can really no longer wreak havoc, which is their artifact room. But, of course, it turns out she can also wreak havoc there.”
While Dauberman wrote the scripts for the first two Annabelle films, this upcoming installment will be his first crack at straddling the two responsibilities of writer and director. Dauberman also wrote the script for the most recent film in the Conjuring franchise, The Nun, and his work with Wan is not set to end there. Earlier this week it was announced that Wan is producing an American remake of the popular Korean zombie film, Train to Busan, with Dauberman writing the script and even possibly directing that film as well. There’s no doubt that Annabelle 3 is in good hands.
The addition of Grace further strengthens the potential of the next Annabelle film. The young star has already garnered significant attention for her thoughtful portrayals of her characters such as the young Tonya Harding in the Academy Award-winning film I, Tonya and as Penny Kirkman in the popular television series Designated Survivor. There’s no doubt that once Captain Marvel releases she will become even more well-known, and her momentum will only continue to grow following the Annabelle sequel. All things considered, at only 12 years old, Grace is building up a very impressive résumé indeed.
More: Captain Marvel Theory: Carol's Mother Is Secretly [SPOILER]
Source: Deadline
