The eighth installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise has been announced, officially titled Paranormal Activity: The Other Side, and here’s everything we know so far. Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin arrived on Paramount+ on October 29th, marking the seventh film in the series since the original 2007 horror release. Despite continuing the found-footage format the franchise is known for, Paranormal Activity 7 deviates from the storyline audiences have come to expect from the series, leaving some to speculate whether Next of Kin is a reboot or a sequel. This also raises some interesting questions regarding the direction Paranormal Activity 8 will take.
The original Paranormal Activity was developed as an independent film by filmmaker Oren Peli for $15,000. It was acquired by Paramount Pictures in 2007, with a new ending filmed by the studio prior to release. Initially given a limited release in 2009, a found-footage take on the haunted house formula proved successful with audiences and a wider release earned the film $193 million worldwide. This success not only inspired additional installments, but Paranormal Activity also kickstarted the found-footage craze, which hadn’t been successfully replicated since the release of The Blair Witch Project in 1999.
Though the original entry was intended as a standalone film, its success led to a sequel nearly every year starting in 2010. Each new installment moved on to a new family threatened by a paranormal presence in their home, but they also consistently made connections to the first film through the character of Kate (Katie Featherston) and a demonic presence known as Toby. Next of Kin deviates from many of these canonical elements as the first film in the franchise with no mention of either Katie or Toby. Paranormal Activity 7 also makes changes to the franchise's found-footage format, with a polished documentary production capturing events in place of the stationary surveillance cameras used in previous installments. But what does this mean for Paranormal Activity 8?
Paranormal Activity 8 Is Happening
Paranormal Activity 8 was announced a while back, as Paramount clearly sees promise in the new reboot of the franchise. As such Paranormal Activity: The Other Side is already in production with director Wincent Sommers at the helm. This is Sommers’ second time tackling a horror sequel, following a 2020 directorial debut with Slender Man: Origins. Interestingly, Oren Peli himself is returning to pen the script for the follow-up.
Paranormal Activity: The Other Side Release Date
Like virtually every other movie in the age of Covid, Paranormal Activity 7 had its release date pushed back and strategy changed. Initially intended to release in March 2021, it was delayed until October 2021 and sent straight to the Paramount+ streaming service instead of theaters. With Paramount Activity 8 already in production, The Other Side is slated for an expected release in October 2022 with IMDb giving it a release date of October 28, 2022.
Everything We Know About Paranormal Activity: The Other Side's Story
The Other Side is rumored to take place after the events of Paranormal Activity 3 and during those from Paranormal Activity 4, which seems to be confirmed by the inclusion of a few key characters in the Paranormal Activity 8 cast list. Both Katie and Young Katie (played by Chloe Csengery in the series) are among those listed as a part of the cast, but only through the use of archival footage. While this may mean no additional footage of the established characters, the film will likely connect the storylines in a similar manner to the approach taken by previous sequels.
According to IMDb, the film’s premise reads “Moving in together before college starts, four friends discover a gruesome past of their house and the connection to the 1988 incidents,” suggesting that the terrorized homeowners will not be a traditional family unit like past installments. New cast members include Chethrin Schulze, Tamara Hitz, Nika Sofie, and Chany Dakota. Given the belief that The Other Side exists in the timeline alongside Paranormal Activity 4, and the announced female-driven cast of the newest sequel, it seems likely there will be a return to the witchcraft elements which were introduced in the third sequel.
How Next of Kin Sets Up Paranormal Activity: The Other Side
Whether The Other Side will also include Tobi remains to be seen, though it seems safe to assume there will be no connection to Next of Kin given what is currently known. Unless one of the college students moving into the new home happens to be a film student, Paranormal Activity: The Other Side will likely return to the style of stationary surveillance cameras. Given that they are college students, webcams and social media live streams might also be an interesting way to evolve the found footage elements of the horror franchise.