In 1967, John Form gifts his pregnant wife, Mia, a rare vintage porcelain doll. After a violent attack by members of a satanic cult, the doll becomes a conduit for a demonic entity seeking a human soul.

While James Wan directed The Conjuring , he served as a producer for Annabelle . The directing duties went to , who was the cinematographer on The Conjuring and the Insidious films.

, though the actual history differs significantly from the cinematic version. The Actual Doll : In reality, the "Annabelle" doll is a Raggedy Ann toy , not the porcelain figure seen in the movies. Origin Story (1970)

, dies while holding the doll, allowing a demonic entity to enter it. Following the attack, paranormal events plague the couple:

The movie takes significant creative liberties with the actual history of the doll.