Every studio wants its own shared movie universe, but building the next Marvel Cinematic Universe is no simple task. It seems like the only other studio to really figure it out so far is New Line, thanks to the Conjuring franchise. What began as an unexpectedly successful haunted house movie has ballooned into a full-fledged series with multiple sequels and spinoffs (that includes The Nun and Annabelle) and a continuity all its own.
As we gear up for more spinoffs like Annabelle Comes Home (read our review), now is probably a good time to brush up on your Conjuring — and Annabelle! — history and learn how all these horror films tie together to form a shared universe.
Source: IGN.com The Conjuring Universe: How Does Annabelle Comes Home Fit In?