Dhruv Trivedi
‘Annabelle: Creation’ follows the origin story of the haunted titular doll, delving into the richly terrifying past of ‘The Conjuring‘ universe. The 2017 horror film is a prequel to the 2014 ‘Annabelle‘ and creates an even more ominous, vintage setting for the story. Most of the scares play out in the Mullins’ home, which forms an ideal backdrop for understanding what came before the haunted doll and its murderous past. ‘Annabelle: Creation’ draws a lot of its horror from an immersive environment, and a look at its filming locations reveals some interesting secrets.
Annabelle: Creation Filming Locations
‘Annabelle: Creation’ was shot almost entirely in California, with much of the filming undertaken on soundstages. Some truly impressive sets were constructed to bring the haunted world to life, and the production seemingly filmed a few scenes on location as well. Principal photography got underway on June 27, 2016, and wrapped up by August 15, 2016. Let’s take a closer look at the specific locations used by the production.
Burbank, California
The film was shot predominantly on soundstages in the city of Burbank, California. Stage 26 of the Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, located at 4000 Warner Boulevard, was reportedly used to create two complete sets of the Mullins’ house’s interior, where most of the film is based. These full-scale sets allowed complex scenes depicting multiple rooms to be shot in a single frame. The gothic 1950s farmhouse’s interior was constructed after carefully planning each of the scenes, making the backdrop perfectly complement the ominous action.
Burbank is home to some of the world’s most famous studios, including Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Studios. The facilities available are fittingly world-class, allowing ambitious sets like the ones made for ‘Annabelle: Creation’ to be executed and used to create immersive and haunted worlds.
Los Angeles, California
The crew also seemingly spent some time filming in nearby Los Angeles. Scenes featuring the orphanage appear to have been shot at Clark Residences. The housing complex can be found at 306 Loma Drive near the downtown area.
Other Locations in California
Additional scenes were reportedly lensed in the city of Simi Valley in Ventura County. Specifically, exterior shots of the Mullins’ house seem to have been captured at Big Sky Movie Ranch, which is located on 4927 Bennett Road in Simi Valley.
That's a wrap on Annabelle 2! Thank you to the awesome cast and crew!
In theaters May 2017. pic.twitter.com/latxKqfiJK— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) August 16, 2016
There were also reports of the production crew being spotted in the city of Calabasas, in the San Fernando Valley area, where some on-location filming was likely undertaken. The proximity of Calabasas to Burbank and Los Angeles made it possible for the team to get some exterior shots while filming predominantly on studio soundstages.
