Screen Rant » Paranormal Activity

‘Paranormal Acitivity 4′ Snags Writer of ABC’s ‘The River’

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:58:28 +0000

This is news that is sure to elicit more sarcasm than hope. Paranormal Activity 4 has secured a writer in the form of Zack Estrin, who is currently a writer/executive producer on ABC’s found-footage supernatural series, The River; a show that is not-so-coincidentally co-executive produced by Paranormal Activity producer Jason Blum and franchise creator Oren Peli.

Hearing the words The River and Paranormal Activity in the same sentence may make a lot moviegoers cringe. The River is an underperformer (hovering in the 4 – 5 million viewers a week range), and although the Paranormal Activity movies are popular (Paranormal Activity 3 has snagged $205 million worldwide on a $5 million budget) there is an increasing crowd that is very vocal about their disdain for the franchise.

On the other hand, given the vague ...

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Interview: Why Are Found Footage Movies So Popular?

Rob Frappier — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:21:40 +0000

In case you haven’t noticed, the found footage genre is hot right now. Whether it’s on the big screen (where the found footage superhero flick Chronicle was recently number one at the box office) or on TV (where ABC and NBC had a bidding war for the new drama The River), it seems like everyone wants to jump on the shaky cam bandwagon.

But why? Is it because found footage is cheaper to produce and has the potential to make tons of money (a la Paranormal Activity)? Or are found footage movies simply a better fit for a new generation of adults that is always plugged-in, always online, and always sharing their lives over social media?

To get to the bottom of the found footage boom, Screen ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 4′ Lands An Official Release Date [Updated]

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:46:07 +0000

Here’s your bit of “shocking” news for the day: Paranormal Activity 4 is happening and has an official release date.

Between Paranormal Activity 3 managing to gross over $200 million worldwide on a $5 million budget – and leaving so many plot threads dangling that the ending actually required a full-blown explanation post to really understand – the idea that Paramount Pictures would move ahead with a fourth installment in the (very) cheap faux horror documentary series was never really in doubt. Still, the studio has just only made the project actually “official.”

Paramount has settled on an October 19th, 2012 U.S. theatrical release date for Paranormal Activity 4; there, it will face off against the star-studded rom-com The Wedding and period crime drama Gangster Squad. However, there is going to be ...

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‘Star Trek 2′ Release Date; ‘Transformers 4′ & ‘Paranormal Activity 4′ Update

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:21:22 +0000

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman recently offered brief updates on the latest installments in three of Paramount Pictures’ cinematic cash cows – namely, the renovated Star Trek saga, the Transformers franchise, and the Paranormal Activity series.

Star Trek 2 is finally starting to make significant progress down the production pipeline, following a year’s worth of slow developments. Substantial work on both Transformers 4 and Paranormal Activity 4 has (reportedly) barely begun, but both are all-but-guaranteed to come to fruition eventually.

Dauman informed THR that previously-released reports about director/producer J.J. Abrams (at last) being committed to Star Trek 2 were indeed correct – and that the filmmaker is currently “focused on developing the next installment” in the 45-year-old science fiction franchise. However, those who were still holding out hopes ...

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Weekend Box Office Wrap Up: November 6th, 2011

Niall Browne — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:00:45 +0000

This week:

Puss in Boots steals the top spot from Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller; Harold and Kumar have a flat 3D debut and Paranormal Activity 3 continues to scare audiences.

Word of the week: Disappointment.

Puss in Boots led the way at the box office – beating the combined star wattage of Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. The animated film dropped just 10% from last week, grossing an impressive $33 million. The Shrek spin-off now has $76.6 million in the kitty, with more on the way as the holiday season approaches.

$24.6 million is quite a disappointment for director Brett Ratner’s Tower Heist, as the film was expected to steal the top spot. The Ben Stiller/Eddie Murphy film has had decent reviews (read ours), but it failed to connect with audiences. The heist caper ...

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‘Paranormal Activity’ Producer Working On New Horror Flick

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:54:30 +0000

Oren Peli will almost certainly be involved as a producer on Paranormal Activity 4 – which seems all but a sure thing right now, based on the box office results for the third installment in that low cost/high payoff supernatural horror franchise. However, for the time being, Peli is working on another horror/thriller altogether.

Principal photography has commenced on Peli’s currently-untitled project, which is based on his own original story. Commercial helmer Brad Parker is serving as director, while Morten Søborg (the Pusher trilogy, Valhalla Rising) has been brought onboard to handle the cinematography.

Here is an official plot synopsis for Peli’s new spooky venture:

The film centers on a group of friends stranded in an eerie and desolate city that was abandoned in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster. Nature has begun to reclaim everything and as the ...

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Paranormal Activity 3 Ending Explained

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:48:51 +0000

Paranormal Activity 3: The Unanswered Questions

Here’s the entire Paranormal Activity movie trilogy summarized in chronological order, with the connections between the films pointed out. It should go without saying that THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS IN THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE.

**How does Paranormal Activity 3 tie into the other films?**

Paranormal Activity 3 is set in 1988 when sisters Kristi and Katie are young (5 and 9, respectively). It is meant to chronicle the events that the girls cannot fully remember in the first two films – namely the demonic entity first coming to haunt them. The girls’ mom has a boyfriend, Dennis, who begins to film the phenomenon happening in their home. The mom, Julie, has decided not to have any more kids – much to the ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′ Discussion: Worst Theater Audiences Ever?

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:13:09 +0000

A funny thing happened as we were recording our Screen Rant Underground Podcast this week: talk turned to our review of Paranormal Activity 3, and aside from arguing about the issues with the plot, ending, and all the juicy Easter eggs and spoilers, there was one unexpected topic of discussion that each of us brought to the table: how rude, distracting, annoying and downright bad the audiences in our respective theaters were.

That strange coincidence got us thinking: did other people have their Paranormal Activity 3 viewing experience ruined? Might this film have actually brought together some of the worst movie theater audiences of recent memory?

Before we get to that discussion, some quick background: myself (Kofi Outlaw), and my fellow editors Ben Kendrick, Rob Keyes, and Anthony Ocasio (that’s “Oh-Cazio”) ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′ SCREAM Awards Clip: Bathroom Games Gone Wrong

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:26:04 +0000

Kids, if you play too many games in the bathroom you could wind up scaring the you-know-what out of yourself. That’s pretty much the lesson to be learned from this new footage from Paranormal Activity 3, which was shown at last night’s Spike TV SCREAM Awards.

Check out the clip to see what happens when you try to conjure up Bloody Mary while on the John.

The story for this third installment of the popular Paranormal Activity franchise flashes back to the 1980s, when sisters Kristi and Katie (the women featured in the first two movies) were still just young girls. We’ll discover the horrific supernatural events that led to the girls’ house burning to the ground and their memories of the ...

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Early ‘Paranormal Activity 3′ Reviews Emerge Online

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:59:31 +0000

[UPDATE: Click here for our Paranormal Activity 3 review]

October is nearly upon us and that means the annual onslaught of Halloween horror movies – a lineup which, in recent years, has come to include the Paranormal Activity franchise.

Halloween 2011 will bring us the third chapter in the series, the sparsely-titled Paranormal Activity 3. A full-length trailer and some viral clips have been generating curiosity about what secrets and scares this third entry – which is actually a prequel – will provide; there’s also the lingering question of whether or not this franchise still has the necessary steam to make a third film in a tried-and-true formula a worthwhile trip to the theater.

The annual genre movie festival “Fantastic Fest” recently finished off with a surprise screening of ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′ Trailer Promises More Demonic Scares

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:42:58 +0000

At this point most moviegoers know whether or not they’re fans of the Paranormal Activity franchise – but that hasn’t stopped those who haven’t been frightened and/or intrigued by the first two films from expressing their displeasure over the upcoming Paranormal 3.

On the other hand, fans of the franchise (including yours truly) have for the most part been enthused by the creepy atmosphere of the Paranormal Activity 3 teaser trailer and the viral clips that have recently surfaced online. Today, we have the full Paranormal Activity 3 trailer to share.

For those who are not yet aware: PA3 is actually a prequel to the first two films. This time around, we will learn how sisters Katie (the victim-turned-demon from PA1) and Kristi (the victim of PA2) were terrorized ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′ Clips: Lot of Static, Creepy VHS Footage

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:06:28 +0000

Pretty much everyone who plans to see Paranormal Activity 3 this year knows exactly what to expect: intentionally “amateurish” footage, minimalistic scares that suggest the presence of supernatural forces, and a final scene that packs a big punch. So, if the PA formula is so predictable, why watch it being executed a third time?

The answer? Because, based on the Paranormal Activity 3 teaser and a trio of freshly-released viral clips, this new installment in the franchise looks to be one of the most legitimately spooky films of the year.

If this past spring’s sleeper hit, Insidious, was the cinematic version of a high-end haunted house attraction, then Paranormal Activity 3 looks to be the film equivalent of walking through the woods at night: Every mysterious noise and spooky shape you pick up on ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′ Trailer Is a Demonic Prequel Tease

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:39:04 +0000

Paramount Pictures’ Paranormal Activity is the ultra-low-budget horror franchise that could, with the first two films bringing in about $370 million worldwide on a combined budget of less than $4 million. So it was a no-brainer when studio heads gave the green light to a third installment, this year’s Paranormal Activity 3.

Now an official teaser trailer has been released for the third Paranormal Activity flick, answering the question: Where can this “found footage” franchise take us that we haven’t already been before?

The answer, as it turns out, is back in time. Similar to how Paranormal Activity 2 ended up being by and large a prequel to the events of the first film, PA 3 delves even further into the past. Specifically, back to the year 1988, when ...

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Ethan Hawke Joins ‘Exorcism of Emily Rose’ Director for New Horror Film

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:41:22 +0000

It seems that Ethan Hawke is starting to develop a habit of taking on “secretive” roles in movies.

Case in point: A few months back, he signed-on for an undisclosed supporting role in the currently-filming Total Recall semi-remake, prompting speculation he might be playing the bizarre mutant Kuato (see: the character in the 1990 Total Recall movie). Now Hawke has signed on for another “mystery” role in a new low-budget horror thriller that is officially untitled, for the time being.

THR says the micro-budgeted scarefest in question is being directed by Scott Derrickson, whose credits include The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the Day the Earth Stood Still remake. He is also credited on ...

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‘Catfish’ Duo Set to Direct ‘Paranormal Activity 3′

Chris Schrader — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:34:36 +0000

Now that the Saw series has finally run its course (at least for now), it looks like Paramount’s Paranormal Activity franchise is prepared to take over as October’s annual horror film staple. With the first two films in the series taking in a combined gross of over $370 million, it came as no surprise when the studio announced last year that Paranormal Activity 3 was already in development.

Since then we’ve heard little to nothing about the production and many fans are curious which direction the filmmakers will choose to steer this next installment in. The found-footage genre has experienced a significant resurgence in the last few years (thanks in no small part to the success of the ...

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Paranormal Activity 3 Confirmed With Release Date

Rob Keyes — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:07:24 +0000

[Check out the first Paranormal Activity 3 trailer!]

After playing at a few film festivals and eventually getting a limited theatrical release, Paranormal Activity rocked the box office through a mind-blowing and plague-like spread of positive word-of-mouth and some innovative marketing. It was able to bring in nearly $200 million worldwide on a budget of a mere $15,000, making it one of the most profitable films ever made.

From there, Paranormal Activity writer and director Oren Peli earned himself a fast-tracked sequel for which he produced, and it debuted last month. While this time they had the cashflow to play with, a similar success story occurred and Paranormal Activity brought in $150 million+ on a $3 million production budget. Using rocket science-like deduction, that meant Paranormal Activity 3 would be on its ...

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‘Paranormal Activity 3′: Will A Found-Footage Format Still Work?

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:12:31 +0000

[Paranormal Activity 3 has been confirmed and a release date set. Go HERE for details.]

[NOTE: This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS about Paranormal Activity 1 & 2.]

So Paranormal Activity 2 is a box office hit, and Paramount is already talking about their plans to make Paranormal Activity 3 (surprise).

However, given how Paranormal Activity 2 ended, can the next chapter in the Paranormal Activity franchise still use the found-footage format that has made the series so popular?

Before we get into talking about the next chapter, let’s recap what’s happened so far. For those who haven’t pieced it all together yet, here’s the series of events that have been established by Paranormal Activity 1 & 2:

As kids, Katie and her step sister Kristi were tormented by a mysterious paranormal entity. They’ve ...

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New ‘Paranormal Activity 2′ Clip & Free ‘Paranormal Activity’ Download

Ross Miller — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:01:04 +0000

Chances are if you were a fan of last year’s hit horror film Paranormal Activity then you’ll be looking forward to more night terrors from its sequel, which is due out this week. Initially the idea of a sequel displeased a lot of people but the promos for the movie so far have all been very intriguing.

In preparation for the release of Paranormal Activity 2, Paramount Pictures is offering you the chance to snag a free download of the first Paranormal Activity on iTunes if you purchase your tickets for the sequel through the official website within the next nine days.

All you need to do is head over to ParanormalMovie.com and choose either Fandango or Movie Tickets to order your tickets and you will receive an iTunes code to download the full length version ...

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2010 Scream Award Nominations

Ross Miller — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:18:13 +0000

We’re now into awards season once more (time flies, doesn’t it?), with the Emmys having come and gone already. Now we have the annual 2010 Scream Awards which celebrates the more fan-friendly type of movies and TV shows that the Oscars and the Emmys might not honor. And the great thing is YOU get to vote for the winners!

Last year they honored such fan-favorites as Star Trek, Watchmen and Fringe with nominations, which I’m sure pleased many of you. Even if they still nominate some questionable movies, there’s no doubting that for the most part, the Scream Awards are a lot more in line with the majority of the movie going audience who pay to see movies purely to be entertained.

Even if the Scream Awards tend to honor the “right” movies however, this ...

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Screen Rant’s Best Shared Movie Moments

Mike Eisenberg — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:42:04 +0000

Christopher Nolan’s Inception has been the topic of discussion for over three weeks now. Many are talking about the torturous ending that left audience members gasping and trying to retrace their steps. In hindsight of that awesome moment, I’ve rounded up the troops here at Screen Rant and asked each writer to describe their favorite shared audience movie theater moment.

[This Next Part Contains Inception Ending SPOILERS]

I’ve never experienced a shared moment in the movie theater quite like that last frame of Inception. The entire film captured everybody’s attention, keeping them on the edge of their seats eager for more. The last few minutes gave Inception its emotional core, after an extended action set piece that put most other summer films to shame.

However, when that top started spinning with subtle shakes and shimmers, ...

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