The latest installment of the found-footage horror franchise ‘Paranormal Activity’ has finalized its lead cast. In line with the franchise’s tradition, the makers have cast relatively lesser-known faces namely Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert ,and Henry Ayers-Brown.
Being directed by William Eubank (The Signal, Underwater) and written by Christopher Landon (Writer- Paranormal Activity 2-5), Paranormal Activity-7 was earlier slated for its delayed theatrical release on 4th March 2022, However, since Paramount has withdrawn the film’s release from its theatrical calendar, the film might see a direct OTT release.
Although nothing yet is known about its plot, Paranormal Activity-7 is neither touted to be a sequel / prequel nor would it be a remake. On the contrary, it is reportedly expected to be an ‘unexpected retooling’ of the original Paranormal Activity film, which was released way back in the year 2007.
Paranormal Activity-1 was helmed by first-time director Oren Peli. The film was heavily inspired by the derivative found-footage style of filmmaking previously employed in the popular horror flick ‘The Blair Witch Project’, which came out in the year 1999.
The original Oren Peli film’s basic premise was centered around a regular couple who become haunted by a vicious supernatural presence inside their house. Almost immediately after its release, Paranormal Activity-1 started to achieve a tremendous following amongst horror film fanatics.
Unlike its sequels/spin-offs spanning five films, debutant director Oren Peli became made the film on a scanty budget of merely $15000. However, the film grossed $193 million in its worldwide earnings. That made Oren Peli an overnight celebrity and a household name.
Albeit, neither of the five succeeding films, despite been made on a bigger scale, were able to match the ingenuity and horror quotient of the parent film i.e., Paranormal Activity-1. In fact, the appreciation from fans and critics alike displayed a downward trend. Was Oren Peli not being behind the camera the reason for the unexciting feedback?
It will be interesting to see whether this latest installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise will reverse the trend. Hopefully, the makers will learn from their past mistakes and bring back Oren Peli running the show.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
