The frightening, demonic doll introduced in 2013's The Conjuring gets her own movie, Annabelle, in theaters October 3. Instead of going the usual route and following up on The Conjuring's success with a direct sequel, the filmmakers are going the prequel and origin-story route with this spin-off. With Annabelle set to make us sleep with the lights on for some time, here are 12 more horror films that deserve a spin-off -- with emphasis on supporting characters ready to take on starring roles.
Scream 4 (2011)
Sure, a TV version is on its way, and that's fine, but the idea of a spin-off centered on the original film's characters -- specifically Gale (Courteney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette) -- is too rich of an opportunity to pass up. Take these two away from the fictional, haunted little town of Woodsboro, put them on trail of another masked set of killers, and their misadventures as a couple could easily fuel a scary story on their own.
Fright Night (2011)
Skeptical Las Vegas magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant) puts on a good show, in a way that makes the charming, witty character deserve a movie centered on his further interactions with all kinds of nightmare-fueled creatures. And Las Vegas would be a great setting for a supernatural horror movie.
Shutter Island (2010)
In Martin Scorsese's intense horror-thriller, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) is a staff psychiatrist at an institution under investigation by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo. The film gives brief moments with the patients, but surely the good doctor has many more stories to tell about the lost souls he's endeavoring to help. (If the recently announced TV series is a hit, maybe that will help the story continue on the big screen.)
Zombieland (2009)
A pilot for a television version didn't go anywhere last year, but a spin-off film focusing on the great female characters Wichita and Little Rock -- played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin -- is the way to go. Putting the fearless, zombie-killing sisters back on the big screen creates several interesting possibilities for the next chapter in the Zombieland franchise.
Friday the 13th (1980)
In the 2009 remake, she was dispatched in the opening scene, but Pamela Voorhees, aka Jason's mother, certainly deserves her own movie. As this scene from the 1980 original makes clear, she's a feisty fighter who is ready to execute justice on behalf of her son.
Halloween (2007)
The latest iteration of Dr. Loomis, as played by Malcolm McDowell, enjoys substantial screen time in Rob Zombie's new versions, but audiences have yet to see his life away from Michael Myers. How does he treat his other patients? Are any of them psychotic serial killers? There's no better way to answer those quesitons than with a spin-off.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Pete (Peter Serafinowicz) is the more adult, responsible member of the house he shares with Shaun (Simon Pegg), and he's not terribly happy about their slacker roommate Ed (Nick Frost). Still, a spin-off featuring the deadpan Pete living in an alternate future -- and dealing with other types of horrorific creatures -- would be kind of fabulous.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
He's a nasty one, that Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey), representing the worst of law enforcement. A similar character was included in last year's Texas Chainsaw, but we believe Sheriff Hoyt is harboring his own reservoir of horror atrocities away from the famed chainsaw-loving family.
The Shining (1980)
Listening to Dick Hallorran (Scatman Crothers) tallking to young Danny (Danny Lloyd) about "the shining" makes us wish that we could learn more about Dick's story before the events in the movie begin, including his experiences at the hotel.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
We don't want to spoil the movie if you somehow haven't seen it yet, but there's a certain male creature, a Mer-man, if you will, who provides a diabolical highlight, and definitely should have his own movie where he can terrorize at will. A spin-off set in the world of the organization behind the terrors plaguing the titular cabin's occupants also holds a lot of potential at the box office.
Poltergeist (1982)
Tangina may be tiny in height, but her spirit is giant, and she played key roles in all three Poltergeist movies to date. Sadly, actress Zelda Rubinstein has passed away, but the character can -- and should -- live on in her own movie, struggling to battle demonic threats pushing into our world.
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Sam Raimi's moody horror film occasionally has lighter moments to relieve the tension, yet it's a very dark vision that plays out as a loan officer pays the price for crossing a gypsy woman. Her boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), is the skeptical type, and a spin-off about him coming to grips with the existence of the supernatural could prove very entertaining, and very scary. (Note: Spoiler Alert! Major end-scene spoilers in the clip below. You've been warned.)
