I guess someone at Paramount wasn't paying attention to our little list of franchises that should take a break in 2012, as they've recently confirmed that Paranormal Activity 4 is in the works for later this year. No specific release date was put forth, but considering the series' history, a late-October release is basically guaranteed. This year, Paranormal Activity 3 had relatively little competition in the horror genre in October, without a Saw movie to go up against, but in 2012, it'll face a few more challenges, with Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D and Halloween 3D both popping up in the month, and Taken 2 and Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad also fighting it out for the more mainstream audiences.
Likewise unknown are the films' plot, time setting, writers, and directors. Directors of PA3, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, told MTV News that they'd be on board for PA4 if Paramount wanted them back, but it doesn't sound like that offers has been extended yet. Normally, not having this stuff lined up 10 months before a movie comes out might be a bit of a concern, but given the production values of the Paranormal Activity films and the relative lack of CGI needed to complete them, I wouldn't be surprised if you could start shooting the movie in early September and still have it ready for a late October release. That's an exaggeration, but probably not by much.
The PA entry was the only one on that list that I wrote, and I still stand by the assumption that Paramount should take a year off and let the franchise recharge its batteries a bit. I am, of course, not a production executive, so Paramount is probably correct in getting the money while the getting's good and riding their horse until it keels over dead in 2014 or so. PA3 did make more money than either of its predecessors, but again, that was likely due to a relative lack of competition. The Saw franchise started to see a notable dip in revenues after the third film, with IV, V, VI marking a nosedive in revenues, with only 2010's 3D entry bumping up a bit (although still marking it only the sixth most successful film out of the seven).
You have to be careful about audience burnout when you start cranking out what is (let's be honest) effectively the same film year after year, but given how goddamn cheap the PA movies are, we might see one come out every year from now until the end of the decade so long as they make more than five million dollars.
Are you still in the running to see Paranormal Activity 4 this year? Getting burned out? Would your choice be influenced by the difference between seeing another prequel (say, Katie and Kristi as teenagers), or seeing the plot threads picking up after the end of Paranormal Activity 2?
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I felt like there was a lack of spooky movies around the 2011 Halloween season so even though these movies start and end the same way every time, I'm okay with it. Its better than another Saw.
And I won't be going to see these ever again.
I'm sick of this series. I don't think a fourth film in this series is going to do very well because the formula is quite stale by now and I really don't think there are too many things you can do with this series. Saw could do something different with each movie and have more elaborate traps because that was kind of movie it was but the PA series is found footage styled. There aren't really too many scares left to be found in these films. This series will probably turn out just like Saw, Hellraiser, and all those other Horror franchises. I'm guessing there'll be about two to three more films in total.
This year, a pair of demons are haunted by an angel.
Never saw the second one since the first was so frustratingly flawed. Third one looked fucking terrible.
I'd like to see a prequel that's just a slideshow of scary etchings from the 1700s.
"I Hath Founde a fpooke!"
I've posted this in the comments before, but I'd love to see a continuation of events after PA2:
@vonFlampanker said:
I got a good laugh out of this.
oh geez...more of these!? lol
In this movie the possessed Katie wakes up in one of Jigsaw's traps and must escape the kill warehouse she is in.
@Nadafinga said:
that is definitely the best thing they could do after the way they have taken the series
i still feel the sequels messed things up. the original was so terrifying since it was some random demon attacking ordinary people like us. the sequels added in generational curses, witches, and magical laws the demon follows. it reduces the connection between us an the protagonist, and the savageness of the monster. it is all substantially less scary.
they should have just made the sequels only be connected by the demon (I guess I should call it Toby now).
Now it's going to be about whoever found all this footage of the first 3.
This time, the camera gets possessed and goes on a killing rampage. Already bought tickets.
I would like to see them take it back even further. Let's have one centered around their grandmother. I'm excited for this because, like all PA flicks, I will go see it once in a packed theater and listen to at least one person scream at every single scare.
I would be interested in a new one if it turned into a monster movie kind of thing with someone hunting down the possessed girl from the first two (I'm spacing the character's name). You could still do the found footage thing (police car dash cams and such), but creepy things happening in a house holds zero appeal for me at this point.
All these freaking movies look exactly the same to me. But people still pay money for it year after year so I'm doomed to keep hearing about them. For once I wish the ghost wasn't some "Grudge" or "Ring" knock off bitch with long hair covering their face.
@Nadafinga said:
I'd definitely see that.
Halloween 3D is not coming out this year. I know all the sites list it as coming out in October of this year, but I am willing to put any amount of money down that it won't be out this calendar year.
As far as I know, there is no cast, no director, no script, and no writer of said script in place. It's definitely still possible, but I just don't see it happening.
As for PA4, bring it on. I find them fun. They're my new Halloween theater-going routine. They're not hurting anyone.