Gird your horror-loving loins for more security camera spookiness, because yet anotherParanormal Activityis on its way. According toThe Wrap, Paramount CEOJim Gianopulosannounced at CineEurope in Barcelona that a seventh entry in the found-footage franchise is officially in the works. The studio will once again partner with producerJason Blum, the Blumhouse head honcho who basically figured out the ideal low-budget, high-reward formula that’s been making a killing at the box office these last few years.
The firstParanormal Activitybecame a bit of a phenomenon when it was released in 2009, a chillingly effective haunted house spookshow that grossed $193 million worldwide on an absurd budget of roughly $15,000. (Still one of the biggest profit margins in movie history.) Since then, the franchise has grown in both scope and story wonkiness, turning a relatively simple poltergeist story into a six-movie saga about demonic possession, cults, and witchcraft. The latest entry, 2015’sParanormal Activity: Ghost Dimensiondirected byGregory Plotkin—the sixth movie in the franchise, but a sequel to Paranormal Activity 4—was the lowest-earner of the series by a wide margin, taking in $78 million worldwide. Although, again, it did so on a $10 million micro-budget.
Although plot details are still being kept under wrap, it’ll be interesting to see where Paramount goes with the franchise after a downturn in quality and general enthusiasm, especially when you consider what Blumhouse has been doing as of late. Remember, this is the place that took the 11-movieHalloweenfranchise, said “forget everything except the 1978 original,” and released directorDavid Gordon Green’sHalloweento a franchise-record monster profit. I’m not saying they should do exactly that withParanormal Activity, but hey maybe they should do…exactly that withParanormal Activity.
