However, all doubts vanished on August 11, 2017, when Annabelle: Creation returned the doll to theaters and reversed the narrative. The creative gambles of Annabelle: Creation paid off with critics, who treated the sequel as a genuine course correction. Finally, Annabelle: Creation showed the Conjuring Universe had great stories to tell beyond the mainline movies. 9 Years Later, the Conjuring Universe Keeps ExpandingImage courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesAnnabelle: Creation‘s success gave Warner Bros. the confidence to keep building outward from the Warrens’ original casework. Nine years after a doll named Annabelle rescued a struggling spinoff, the Conjuring Universe is still finding new corners of its mythology to explore.