Annabelle: The Real-Life Inspiration For The Creepy Doll, Explained (2024)

Blumhouse's killer doll M3GAN gave Chucky a run for his money, but Annabelle might be the creepiest toy in the horror genre. Her deceptively innocent appearance with her bangs and rosy cheeks hides her true nature, and her dark, sinister personality is present throughout the franchise. Just looking at her is enough to make a chill go down anyone's spine, which is part of the fun of watching these movies, of course.

Is the terrifying doll from 2014's Annabelle, 2017's Annabelle: Creation, and 2019's Annabelle Comes Home based on a true story? It turns out that there is a real doll named Annabelle, and horror fans will want to know all about it.

RELATED: M3GAN vs. Chucky: How Does The New Killer Doll Compare?

Was Annabelle Based On A Real Doll?

Ed and Lorraine Warren, the ghost hunters played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring horror franchise, are based on a real couple. And Annabelle doll is actually based on a real toy, and according to the New Haven Register, Lorraine Warren shared the story in 2014 at Lauralton Hall after the first movie came out. She said that she had the doll at her Occult Museum at her house in Monroe, Connecticut. It should be noted that the museum shut down in 2020, so it seems safe to assume that Lorraine still has the doll and has put it somewhere else.

Buzzfeed noted that the case that Annabelle is kept in is wood and there is a "warning" on it that says "positively do not open." It's smart that the movies included this detail, as it emphasizes how Annabelle should never, under any circ*mstances, be let out of her case. It's no wonder that Annabelle ties nicely into the creepy doll horror trope.

Lorraine Warren's son-in-law Tony Spera is also a paranormal investigator, and the two gave the talk at Lauralton Hall in 2014. They showed a video that explained the truth about the real Annabelle doll. Ed and Lorraine Warren worked on this case and wrote on their website that they "came to the immediate conclusion that the doll itself was not in fact possessed but manipulated by an inhuman presence... Truly, the spirit was not looking to stay attached to the doll, it was looking to possess a human host.”

In 2017, a nurse was given a doll for her birthday and saw that the doll would sometimes look different, from lying down to crossing one leg. Strange things then began happening, from a friend waking up from a nap with the sensation that someone had strangled him and noticing scratches on himself. There were also notes that said "Help me, help us."

After the nurse and her roommate talked to a medium, they learned that the ghost of a 7-year-old girl named Annabelle Higgins was haunting the doll after her death. Annabelle is one of the scariest dolls in horror movies and learning this real life inspiration is definitely chilling.

How Do The Annabelle Movies Change The Real Story?

Annabelle: Come Home ties up The Conjuring franchise and the Annabelle movies change the origin story slightly. In the 2014 movie, Mia and John Form are living a peaceful and regular life when cultists attack them. One of the cult members is named Annabelle Higgins, which is how the movie uses the real story of the Annabelle doll.

Annabelle also looks a bit different in the movies, as in real life, she is a Raggedy Ann doll, but in the movies, she is a porcelain doll who looks like she has a ton of makeup painted on her face. The real doll is said to look less horrifying and eerie, although Spears and the Warrens always spoke about how evil she is.

Tony Spera spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Annabelle Comes Home and he shared some fascinating details about the changes that the film made. In the museum in the movie, there is a TV set that allows people to view the future, but Spera said that doesn't really exist in the actual museum. He said that there is a mirror, though, and a man once said that he saw a freaky image after he tried to see the faces of relatives who had passed away.

Chucky may be a loveable mascot, but Annabelle has always felt absolutely, purely evil, thanks to the havoc that she wrecks around her and that strange grin on her face. Annabelle Comes Home also includes the characters playing a Feeley Meeley game, which Spera said was made up, and a wedding dress that makes people kill their fiances when they put it on. Spera explained that there is no story attached to the white dress in the museum in real life. Spera did say that the dress is said to be connected to a legend called the White Lady of Union Graveyard, Connecticut, a ghost who appears on a nearby road.

Learning about the real Annabelle doll is just as unnerving as watching the movies that feature this famous toy. And whether or not people believe that an evil spirit can really live in a doll, it's still creepy to hear about.

NEXT: Movies: 7 Sentient Dolls That Are Not Evil