After “Lights Out,” Sandberg was given the troublesome job of following up (see: saving) the budding collection of “Annabelle” films as a part of the higher “Conjuring” cinematic universe. The primary “Annabelle” movie was an enormous disappointment for followers, and there was little confidence in “Annabelle: Creation.” Nevertheless, with Sandberg on the helm, the movie was an enormous success. Our personal Ethan Anderton known as the movie “a relentlessly horrifying, superior horror follow-up,” in his assessment. The anticipated sequel movie was truly a prequel, giving the origin story of how the haunted doll got here to be, and legitimately helped solidify the doll’s place within the horror canon of cursed objects.
“It is stunning how intense, suspenseful, and ugly the scares are on this film, every extra shocking than the final,” wrote Anderton. “There are soar scares for certain (some do precisely what you count on whereas others play towards expectations), however there are moments the place you will be stunned merely due to how daring the demon is in harming the inhabitants of the home.”
Clearly, movies are a collaborative medium and there is not any one particular person accountable for the success of a undertaking. Gary Dauberman wrote all three “Annabelle” movies (in addition to the “IT” movies, “The Nun,” and the upcoming remake of “Salem’s Lot”) however as “Annabelle: Creation” typically thought to be the brilliant spot of the trilogy, it is apparent Sandberg’s skills had been a significant factor within the movie’s optimistic legacy. This mid-budget scare-fest introduced house over $306 million worldwide, which means Sandberg directed back-to-back box-office hits for Warner Bros., the parents who personal DC. From a enterprise standpoint, asking Sandberg to direct “Shazam!” was in all probability a no brainer.