Two New 'Paranormal Activity' Films Coming in 2014

Courtesy denofgeek.com

Fans of the horror-franchise, Paranormal Activity, have not one, but TWO new movies headed their way in 2014.

Latino-themed spin off, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, is set for release on Jan. 3, 2014. While details of the film are still under wraps, director Christopher Landon promises viewers plenty of scares.

Paranormal Activity 5, the official franchise sequel, will be hitting theaters on Oct. 24, 2014. Oren Peli, responsible for writing the four predecessors, is once again penning the upcoming sequel. According to the IMDB page, it looks like this will pick up after the plot of Paranormal Activity 2.

-Nowal Massari

'Stranded' with Josh Gates: The 'Destination' adventurer sets sights on scares with new show

Gates, Courtesy Syfy

BY AARON SAGERS

After five years of chasing ghosts and monsters across the planet, while frequently encountering dangerous transportation and questionable food, Josh Gates is now working on his scariest assignment yet -- and he prefers it that way.

The lead investigator of Syfy's globetrotting, monster-hunting series Destination Truth, which premiered in 2007, Gates has become something of a staple for the network. Beyond acting as host (and eventually co-executive producer) on the show, his face has also been out there as Syfy's de facto emcee. But now he has stepped entirely behind the camera as executive producer and showrunner for Stranded, a new paranormal reality-TV Syfy series debuting Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. that will introduce some scare tactics to the well-tread investigative genre.

Produced by Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Stranded) and Ping Pong Productions (Destination Truth, Finding Bigfoot and a handful of other paranormal shows), Stranded attempts to merge the standard ghosthunting show with familiar ghost movie tropes to create a new formula: the horror docu-drama.

Each week a new group of three -- roomies, newlyweds, skeptics, believers which Paranormal Pop Culture posted a casting call for -- is placed in a different, supposedly haunted location for five days straight without even a production crew in tow. For instance,  the premiere takes place on Star Island, a 50,000 square-foot hotel on an island 10 miles off the coast of New Hampshire, and supposedly home to an evil spirit Native Americans feared. When the team arrives, they they find a brief history of the building and a handful of paranormal investigation gadgets waiting for them, and they're tasked with spending their waking hours exploring the mysteries of the building.

But the emphasis of Stranded is not on capturing evidence inasmuch as simply living in a haunted house alongside whatever potential activity might be taking place there.

The dock leading up to the Star Island hotel,
Courtesy Syfy

And based on the first two of six episodes, the result is an intriguing, sometimes startling, psychological drama. Instead of the ghost "expert" series where stoicism is prized, Stranded focuses on the experience of these average Joes and Janes. As such, when things go bump in the night, and the investigators can't run away, it can create a deep, emotional response.

The show is also an interesting evolution for Gates. Going from having a camera strapped to his back and front as he traversed the world, he now finds himself largely in a production office, putting together an entertainment product. While the challenges of producing a show is perhaps less sexy than, say, hunting for yeti, it's no less a massive, and scary, project. But in a recent phone interview, Gates spoke at length about his excitement around Stranded, and about evoking authentic, visceral reactions from the participants -- and hopefully from the viewing audience.

(after the jump...)

Josh Gates' 'Stranded' to premiere Feb. 27

Star Island, NH

What happens when Paranormal Activity meets reality-TV paranormal investigators)? It just might be Stranded, the new Syfy show premiering Feb. 27 at 9 p.m. (which has traditionally been the timeslot for Ghost Hunters, since moved to 8 p.m.).

According to a Syfy release, Stranded uses a "stripped-down first-person method to document an unconventional – and terrifying – paranormal and psychological experiment in which participants are stranded at haunted location for a week and must record the entire experience themselves."

Jason Blum, producer of the Paranormal Activity movie franchise, Insidious and Sinister, serves as an executive producer; as does Josh Gates, the host and co-executive producer of Syfy’s popular series Destination Truth.

The six-episode season will included self-recorded footage of a diverse group of paranormal enthusiasts. "The footage from the subjects’ cameras is supplemented by strategically-placed security cameras at each location," says Syfy, "creating a suspenseful, completely unscripted first-hand account of each group’s stay."

"Over the course of the confinement, the subjects contend with increasingly pervasive feelings of fear and desolation, resulting in an experiment that represents a unique combination of psychology and the paranormal."

The first location for the hour-long show will be Star Island, N.H., but will also include Seaview Terrace in Newport, Rhode Island, and the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia.

Also, here's a fun fact: The show is the same that asked us to help them find contestants last fall. So if you pursued that, this is what might become of that.

-Aaron Sagers

'A Haunted House,' 'Scary Movie 5': Paranormal spoofs on the way ... a little late

'A Haunted House' poster

Nearly a decade after paranormal investigative shows became big business with Ghost Hunters in 2004, and three years after Paranormal Activity stormed the box office, the Hollywood spoof machine has finally decided to take on ghosts in a pair of new movies.

First up is A Haunted House, a Paranormal Activity lampoon starring Marlon Wayans (who also co-wrote the movie), Nick Swardson, Cedric the Entertainer, David Koechner and Essence Atkins. Opening Jan. 11, the movie follow young couple Malcolm (Wayans) and Keisha (Atkins), who move into their dream home, only to learn a demon also lives there. When Keisha becomes possessed, Malcolm enlists a psychic, priest and team of ghost hunters to help him out - and assist him in keeping his sex life active.

Interestingly, Swardson's character is the gay psychic named "Chip," and is pretty much a direct shout-out to Chip Coffey. And while Koechner's character name is not listed on IMDB, he looks like he could be doing Jason Hawes duty in the movie.

Not to be outdone, the Scary Movie franchise gets dug up for a fifth entry on April 12 after about seven years since the fourth installment. Starring Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan (as themselves), Ashley Tisdale, Kendra Wilkinson, Heather Locklear, Jerry O'Connell, Molly Shannon and a whole bunch of other folks, the movie is about ... well, about something that shouts out to a lot of movies like Black Swan, Paranormal Activity 4, Inception and more.

Although neither flick really seems to be exactly "fresh," the Scary Movie franchise has been extremely profitable. And who but Marlon Wayans was one of the main creators of that franchise, although he has not been actively involved since 2001's Scary Movie 2.

The trailers for both movies are after the jump. And speaking of jumping, are you doing just that for joy to see these spoofs?

FEARnet explores big business of scares, Halloween and beyond

BY AARON SAGERS

In one of the most extensive studies on Halloween and the horror genre, research from cable network and website FEARnet shows the entire country has been overtaken by Oct. 31 fever - with the business of scary becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry.

According to the study (the graphic for which, left, is embiggenable), in 2011, Halloween-related spending "neared 7 billion dollars; up from 3.29 billion dollars in 2005." What's more, the research revealed that most people will spend, on average, $72 on costumes, candy and decorations. And you know those pop-up Halloween stores that overtake mini-malls each season? There will be an estimated 15,000 of them to choose from. Additionally, there will be a potential 41 million trick-or-treaters, and costume sales for them will drum about a billion bucks. Costumes for adults will rake in about $1.2 billion. The outfits for Fido, Tabby and the nation's pets will generate $310 million. On the candy front, the sweets industry makes more during Halloween - about 23 percent of its annual sales - than in any other season.

All these numbers add up to what horror nerds have instinctively known for years: Scary is a lifestyle.

"That’s why it surprises me that more people don’t realize that this genre isn’t just a Halloween business," said Peter Block, president and general manager of FEARnet (and former President of Acquistions & Co-Productions at Lionsgate). "There’s a reason adults spend so much money on costumes each year; We want to revisit what we loved as children."

That desire extends to about 44 percent of people choosing to dress in costume each year, and 23% planning to visit one of more than 300 haunted house attractions at theme parks, historic sites, zoos, etc. - and generating upwards of $200 million annually for those venues.

"This genre is a passion, and there’s no on/off switch for people’s passions—it doesn’t just start up during October and fade away once November arrives," Block said.

"There’s a constant thirst for it," he added. "People love being scared, and they love being scared together ... We’re seeing this addressed more and more, especially on TV, where just about every network has a genre show."

Block's point is a good one. On the television front, season three of AMC's zombie drama The Walking Dead bowed to about 11 million viewers when it debuted Oct. 14. Then there are other horror-themed shows like Grimm, 666 Park Avenue, American Horror Story, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Dexter, all of which command dedicated fan bases. And more horror series like The Following and Hannibal are on the way.

Within the film community, the Halloween spirit continues beyond Oct. 31 as well.

Last year's Paranormal Activity 3 opened with $53 million in its first weekend. That made it the biggest October opening ever, and contributed to the $3.3 billion that the horror/thriller/suspense genre earned in 2011. According to the FEARnet research, January 2012's The Devil Inside had the third biggest opening in history for that month, and the Saw films, the top-grossing horror franchise, has earned $873 million.

Block acknowledged that horror has traditionally been a genre that many advertisers have stayed away from, but that, "right now, it’s something to be embraced, and advertising is beginning to reflect this."

"At the end of the day, advertisers are always going to go where the eyeballs are," he said.

'Paranormal Activity 4' tops box office, but numbers down

Courtesy Paramount

Paramount's Paranormal Activity 4 brought in a respectable $30.2 million last weekend, which was enough to top the box office, but not enough to beat its predecessors.

The opening was down 43 percent from its 2011 predecessor, but The Hollywood Reporter reports the film is still "guaranteed to be an enormous profit generator for Paramount and producers Jason Blum and Oren Peli, considering it cost $5 million to produce."

The supernatural presence of another horror/thriller, Summit Entertainment's Sinister, is being blamed for PA4's lower box office take. But fans needn't worry since Paranormal Activity 5 is already slated to hit theaters October 2013.

Does this make you happy or do you wish this franchise would just die already? Were you in the theaters seeing PA4 this past weekend? Let us know what you think.

-Larissa Mrykalo

'Paranormal Activity' early screenings mean big box office?

Paranormal Activity 4 hits theaters tonight at 9 p.m. and, like its predecessors, this installment was only made for a song and dance - $5 million to be exact, and that includes marketing. So how will that translate into box office take for Paramount Pictures?

According to Variety, "Paramount expects to attract die-hard scare-seakers to its late-night Paranormal screenings, leading up to the midnight shows. The early showtimes are meant to kick-start word-of-mouth through the weekend."

To refresh your memories, and to take from our Fall Movie Preview, "This installment ... is a continuation from Paranormal Activity 2. It is five years after Katie killed her sister and brother-in-law, and kidnapped their son, Hunter. Katie and Hunter have moved next door to a pretty young girl named Alice and her mom. Strange things start occurring at Alice's home since the arrival of her creepy new neighbors."

Let us know if you are heading to the theaters to check it out and what you think of this latest installment.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Horror Pop Culture Sept. 24-28

BY ANDREW PETERS
Editor's Note: Horror Pop Culture is a weekly round-up of horror genre news, reviews and rumors

New Aussie Neo-Giallo Thriller Sororal
When I first saw the word 'Neo-Giallo,' I immediately thought of Akira. But this isn’t the case. I’m a huge fan of Italian Giallo films, so when I saw that word along with this poster, it had my full attention.

Synopsis:

Cassie is tormented by visions of murder. Terrifying images flood her dreams and attack her waking hours. Her dreams are her curse and keep her isolated from the everyday world. Cassie's life is thrown into disarray when a mysterious detective comes to her with a bombshell: He tells her that her visions are depictions of real murders, murders that she couldn’t possibly have seen. Cassie’s pain now has a face, and she must stop the killing at all costs. The twisted, childlike killer targets Cassie’s loved ones, and the race is on to stop her. Cassie is thrown together with her former lover as they scramble towards a shocking revelation that will change everything.

Who else is excited? Sounds very Argento-style. Looking forward to seeing this one! More news as it
comes… (via Dread Central)

Paranormal Pop Culture Fall Movie Preview

Breaking Dawn, final poster
Courtesy Summit

BY LARISSA MRYKALO

The fall movie season leading up to Christmas is a cornucopia of films that are a paranormal enthusiast’s dream. Heavy on the ghosts, demons and post-apocalyptic world - one we may soon live in if the Mayans were correct - this season will not disappoint.

Many highly-anticipated films, such as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the final installment of the Twilight Saga will thrill fans and a couple of animated flicks will delight the kiddos (and adults).

So which of these following paranormal, horror or fantasy movies are you excited to see? Which...not so much? Look ahead to see the list...

'Paranormal Activity' spoof brings funny to found footage

Paranormal Movie

The success of the low-budget, "found footage" 2007 hit Paranormal Activity, has definitely launched a handful of knock-offs. I've actually seen a couple of the "straight-to-DVD" releases on FEARnet. Why, as an audience, do we like to watch the dizzying display of havoc and, sometimes, mundane everyday life stuff, that these movies bring? Because they seem real to us and make it even scarier? What if a movie was released that busted on the Paranormal Activity franchise and promised to make you die laughing? Would you want to see it?

Our buddy Uncle Creepy over at Dread Central, recently reported that, "Cinema Management Group is currently in talks with buyers about Paranormal Movie", a 'found footage' parody that satirizes the tropes of 'found footage' horror films. Directed and starring Kevin Farley (Dirty Work), the film is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2013."

The plot of the movie is like that of Paranormal Activity but with more toilet humor. "Larry" is one of those "document everything" kinda dudes and when he and his girlfriend end up living with a poltergeist, he is hell-bent on filming and ridding the nuisance from their lives.

Unlike Paranormal Activity, this one has quite a line-up of "stars" such as: Maria Menunos from Access Hollywood; brother of Julia, Eric Roberts; and, The Greatest American Hero himself, William Katt. With a line up like this, how could you go wrong?

Will you go and see this spoof or is this flushable material? The non-spoof, Paranormal Activity 4, will be out this October 19th and picks up where the second movie left off. Are you in line for your tickets yet…or not?

-Larissa Mrykalo

New show seeking ghost hunters to strand in haunted house

A PA producer is on
board with the show.
Courtesy Paramount

We got a hot tip in the ol' electronic mail about a new paranormal show for a major cable network seeking teams willing to be stranded in a haunted house for a week. And they are seeking them immediately to begin shooting Sept. 4 through Oct. 15.

Created by the producer behind Paranormal Activity (presumably Oren Peli) and Ping Pong Productions (the production company behind paranormal series Destination Truth, Finding Bigfoot, Chasing UFOs, The Othersiders and The Supernaturalist), the show is seeking groups of three believers in the paranormal for the haunted week. To be considered, trios must send a photo of the three of you, your names, ages, location, and relation to one another to GhostTVshow@gmail.com

The official word is that the show is looking for non-believers, skeptics and believers, but our sources say it's better to have more of a believer approach within the group. In your email, say where you stand. Also, a co-ed group is highly recommended.

Oh, and as an added incentive, the cast gets paid for the show.

-Aaron Sagers

'Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast' debuts

OK, so it has actually been out for a few days (since Aug. 3), but the location-based augmented-reality video game app for Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast has a new trailer. It is cute, and features a few bored paranormal investigators waiting around for specters to catch.

The game allows you, the ghost buster, to locate and zap ghosts based on your real-time surroundings, utilizing your smartphone's camera. Other paranormal games have done this in the past (Ghostwire, Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary), but without the name recognition of GB.

Now, will the game actually bring the excitement of the movie to your smartphone, or at least hold up to the fun of the 2009 video game (which had the spirit of the movies but with a frustrating targeting/trapping system)? That remains to be seen. So once you download the game, let us know if, indeed, bustin' makes you feel good.

-Aaron Sagers

'Paranormal Activity 4' in 2012

For the fourth year in a row, Paranormal Activity will be releasing a new installment this fall, reports Variety.

After the first film released by Paramount cost only $15,000 to make, and went on to make $193 million when it debuted in 2009, the "found footage" horror franchise about a haunted family has picked up $581 million in worldwide grosses. The third film released in October 2011 actually debuted to a $52.6 million weekend - the biggest opening for any film ever in October.

So yeah, it looks like as long as people keep showing up to see the PA films, Paramount will continue to churn them out. This latest paranormal pop culture flick joins Paramount's World War Z this year, which is the Brad Pitt vehicle adapted by Max Brooks' well-known zombie book.

'Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary' game app offers devilish fun

Don't you hate it when you're just trying to head home from the bodega when a hell zone opens up and demonic forces begin to attack, forcing you to whip out your iPhone and start casting spells? I know, right? Such a pain.

Well the folks from Paramount Pictures and game developers Ogmento hope to inject a little excitement into that tedium with the new video game app, Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary, which is loosely connected to the Paranormal Activity film franchise.

The game encourages gamers to face temptations from evil forces and either resist or succumb to possession. They will then either cast spells through gameplay to create safe zones on a map or choose to create "hellholes" where evil reigns.

Sanctuary utilizes a choose-your-own-adventure open-world gameplay system, and while nifty, that's not what makes this app cool.

Instead, the game stands on its own because of the geo-location based, augmented-reality location. That is to say the game board is based on each player's neighborhood map using the iPhone's GPS. So the bodega you just shopped at may become an integral element in your personalized game. Additionally, using the phone's camera, players interact with creatures who appear to exist in your surrounding areas. Finally, the game utilizes Ogmento's own user-generated technology that allows gamers to draw symbols on paper, which are then "read" and given life in the game.

Although Sanctuary carries the PA name, an understanding of the movies isn't necessary to enjoy the game. Instead, the incredibly fascinating app stands on its own regardless of the recognizable franchise.

There is a slight learning curve with getting used to the augmented reality and gameplay, but for a really fresh game concept and free downloadable app (with   added features available for purchase), Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary is worth taking the information super highway to hell for.

Rental Reviewer: 'Paranormal Activity 2'

Whether it features ghosts, monsters or aliens, no movie is too sacred from fresh critique when at-home critics don the guise of the Rental Reviewer and explores the best (and worst) of paranormal pop culture.  If you'd like to write for Paranormal Pop Culture, please email press@paranormalpopculture.com with your story submission.

Paranormal Activity 2

We’ve all either seen it or heard of it, and thought "It was so scary" or "so lame" (except for those who were simply too afraid to check it out). Paranormal Activity, directed by Oren Peli and made for a measly $15,000, grossed $193 million at the box office in 2009, and was such a smash hit that a sequel was rushed to theaters October 2010. Made for a meatier, but still small, budget of $3 million, the film grossed $172 million and picked up a 60 percent fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.

There was good reason to be skeptical of a quickie sequel to the movie, but there's good news because Paranormal Activity 2, which comes out on DVD/Blu-ray today, is a prequel/parallel retelling of the first installment - and if you liked part one be prepared to jump out of your seat ... or your sofa for PA2.

The plot: If you remember, Paranormal Activity follows young couple, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat), who are haunted by a presence in their home. To catch the demonic force in action, the couple set up a camera in their bedroom and encounter evidence that suggests the energy is connected to Katie's family. The scare factor of the original relied heavily on the shaky documentary-style, single-cam. It didn't hurt that, ala Blair Witch Project, people believed the story was for realz.

2010 Paranormal Pop Culture Preview: The Movies

Paranormal pop culture looks to be as big as ever in 2010, with ghosts, fallen angels, monsters and (surprise!) more vampires ruling the box office.  This list explores only the movies coming out in 2010, and not paranormal-themed flicks in production.

Not all the movie site for these are up yet, but you can link through to most. Also, in order to be considered for the list, the plots must largely take place on this Earth and in this reality where the paranormal characters are largely unexpected and unexplained.

Ghosts

The Lovely Bones - Jan. 15
Instead of crossing over, a murdered girl assists her grieving family from the afterlife to find her killer

A Nightmare on Elm Street - April 30
A reboot of the popular '80s  franchise where ghostly child killer Freddy Krueger haunts and stalks teen dreams

'Paranormal Activity' director lands deal for alien flick, 'Area 51'

From "beyond the grave" to "beam me up," Variety is reporting Paranormal Activity helmer Oren Peli has landed a deal with Paramount Pictures to distribute his alien flick, Area 51.

The partnership re-teams Peli and Paramount after Activity, shot for around $11,000, made $106 million since September - making it one of the most profitable films ever. Despite bids for U.S. distribution rights from other studios, Paramount nabbed the deal because of how it "effectively executed the rollout as the film built word of mouth and became a breakout hit."

This time Peli had about $5 million to work with to tell the story of teens who stumble onto the Nevada military base around which much extraterrestrial conspiracies revolve. As with the demon-themed Paranormal Activity, Area 51 will utilize the found footage narrative structure. A release date is expected sometime in 2010.

Paranormal Activity: Talk about a sleeper hit

Unless you’re living in a fall-out shelter somewhere awaiting the zombie apocalypse, you’ve heard about Paranormal Activity, the will-it-make-it/will-it-not indie horror flick that’s been gathering dust since 2006. If you haven't, you just lost some major para-points. Redeem yourself asap by checking out this movie. The flick, shot on a handheld in seven days at director Oren Peli’s crib, was made for a scant $11,000, probably about the same price as the smallest ring on Lindsay Lohan’s pinky finger. (Compare that to the $100,000 estimated Blair Witch budget and you can imagine what we're working with here.) It gathered  buzz at festival screenings, but until DreamWorks picked it up in 2008 (along with some backing from this guy ... Steven Spielberg? Never heard of him.), Paranormal Activity wasn’t so active. But lucky for horror geeks near uber-cool hipster cities across the country, you can check it out this week.  

I’ve heard  talk of it being one of the all-time, all-time scary movies. It employs the use of night vision to capture the goings-on inside a young couple’s bedroom while they sleep. Paranormal Activity is not a star vehicle — it features newcomers Katie Featherston and Micah Slot paired up with first-time director Peli. There's this cool anecdote as well:  The Chicago Tribune reports that Spielberg (who helped re-imagine the ending)  was afraid his copy of the disc was haunted. Apparently the day he watched it, the door to his bedroom randomly locked from the inside. So scared was Spielberg that he brought the disc back to DreamWorks in a garbage bag. True story or publicity stunt? Who cares. I think it just worked on me. 

Check out the trailer, and happy nightmares.