The release of the next installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise–still untitled at this writing–has been moved back almost one full year.
The film–from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions–now is expected to hit theaters March 4, 2022 instead of its previously announced release date of March 19, 2021, as reported by comicbook.com.
The reasons behind the move? What fans have come to expect from this strange year of 2020: Production schedules being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the fact that the theatrical market is nowhere near peak levels.
Few details about this seventh entry in the franchise have been released, but what is known is that Blumhouse head Jason Blum will be part of the process and that Christopher Landon–who has been involved as either writer or director in the second through fifth installments–will return in some capacity.
“I am helping Paramount set a new course for the franchise,” Landon said. “I am not writing the script, nor am I directing the new movie. I am eager and excited to hand the reins over to a fresh filmmaker who will undoubtedly invigorate this franchise.”
The original 2007 Paranormal Activity film–from writer/director/producer Oren Peli–started the “found-footage” trend that the subsequent installments mirrored and expanded upon. The original starred Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat as a couple haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. In an effort to better understand the phenomenon, they set up camcorders to document the goings-on.
The film series continued with five sequels from 2010 through 2015, with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension thought to be the last in the franchise. Until this seventh film. The franchise has been a box office blockbuster, grossing $890 million worldwide on a combined budget of just $28 million.
Keep reading Horror News Network for further updates on the next Paranormal Activity film.
