Paranormal Activity 5 gains director and new writers

Despite not having a 2013 Paranormal Activity release, the powers that be are working to give us two Paranormal Activity films in 2014. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is a spin-off set for release in January and Paranormal Activity 5 is expected for the Halloween season in October. We now know screenwriters Jason Pagan and Andrew Deutschman are going to write Paranormal Activity 5 and newcomer Gregory Plotkin is on board to direct. This will be Plotkin's directorial debut. He previously served as an editor and co-producer of the previous films.

Plotkin is taking the directorial reigns from directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. The pair previously directed Paranormal Activity 3 and Paranormal Activity 4 as well as the online dating "documentary," Catfish. Pagan and Deutschman are taking over the writing after several different writers, mainly including Oren Peli and Christopher Landon.

Leigh Whannell to write Insidious 3

After the $41 million debut of Insidious: Chapter 2, it was pretty much a given we would eventually have a third Insidious film. Not to mention the way the sequel ended. We now have confirmation there will indeed be a third film and that Leigh Whannell will return to write the script.

The sticky spot here is James Wan. He has directed both Insidious films along with the other $40+ million horror release The Conjuring. However, he has announced his intent to move away from the horror genre and try other films and is currently directing Fast & Furious 7. Now with that said, it is pretty much a given that Wan will not return to direct Insidious: Chapter 3.
This is a huge push backwards in so many ways. It is possible that Whannell could try and direct and I'm sure he could do a great job, but Insidious has Wan all over it. I don't think anyone else could bring the same magic.
However, Jason Blum and Oren Peli will return to produce. It is possible that Peli could step in and direct, but he has only directed Paranormal Activity. The rest of his credits are mostly producing.

Here is the official press release:

ENTERTAINMENT ONE, FILMDISTRICT, AND

SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS DEVELOPING

THIRD INSTALLMENT OF INSIDIOUS FILM FRANCHISE

PRODUCED BY BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS 

INSIDIOUS and INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER TWO Screenwriter Leigh Whannell to

Write Script of Third Film

Los Angeles  September 16, 2013 – Entertainment One (eOne), FilmDistrict, and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced today that together they will be developing the third chapter of the micro-budgeted INSIDIOUS film franchise which Leigh Whannell has signed on to write.  Whannell has written both INSIDIOUS and INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 which just had a stellar first weekend release in North America debuting to more than $40 million at the box office making it one of the largest horror genre openings ever and one of the biggest openings for a film released in the month of September.  Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions, which produced both INSIDIOUS and INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, is producing the next installment along with Oren Peli.  Steven Schneider, Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Peter Schlessel, Lia Buman and Xavier Marchand are executive producing.
In a joint statement, Peter Schlessel, FilmDistrict’s CEO, Xavier Marchand, eOne’s President, Film Production, and Steven Bersch, President of SPWA, said, “The release of the first INSIDIOUS resonated with audiences around the world and quickly became one of the most talked about films in 2011. This weekend moviegoers enjoyed the terrifying continuation of the first film and we are confident they will be excited to see the third chapter of the INSIDIOUS world. There is nobody better suited to bring audiences the next chapter of this haunting story than Leigh who has brilliantly written both INSIDIOUS and INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2.”
Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse said, “FilmDistrict, eOne and SPWA have been incredible partners on the INSIDIOUS franchise. We are all so grateful for how audiences embraced James Wan and Leigh’s latest film and are excited to see what Leigh has in store for the third chapter.”
The first INSIDIOUS told the story of Josh and Renai Lambert and their son Dalton, confronting the demons that possess the young boy.  The project was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and distributed by FilmDistrict in the US.  eOne handles rights to the film in Canada, U.K. and Spain, and Sony handles rights in the rest of the world.  It was released on April 1, 2011, and has grossed $97 million worldwide.  With the picture’s reported $1.5 million budget, it has led to the film being called the most profitable film of 2011.
INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, the terrifying sequel, follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.  Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, and Barbara Hershey reprised their roles in the film directed by James Wan, who also directed the first installment.
Whannell is represented by Paradigm.

Paranormal Activity 5 will arrive in 2013

Yes, yes I know... another one.
Paramount announced the release of a fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise. The fifth film is set for release on October 25, 2013. No details as far as directors or cast have been released, but Oren Peli and Jason Blum will once again return to produce.

I just want this franchise to end. It's run its course already, imo.

Paranormal Activity 5 set for Halloween 2013

Surprise!

Well, not really. Paramount announced they will be releasing a fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise next Halloween. Since the first PA film was released in 2009 people have pretty much gone ape shit for it. I have never been a fan of the films and I haven't seen Paranormal Activity 4 yet, but this comes to no surprise to me.

Some people are questioning why Paramount has given the green light to a fifth film already because Paranormal Activity 4 is apparently the worst one yet and it is actually getting negative reviews from both critics and fans. However, this franchise is a cash cow for Paramount so they will run it into the ground just like what Lionsgate did with the Saw franchise. They should have stopped at the third and we got seven with a possible eighth still coming, or a reboot, so I am predicting Paranormal Activity won't die until a 6th or 7th film. If it stops at five I will be surprised.

Chernobyl Diaries - Review

Chernobyl Diaries is the newest screenplay from Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli. It follows six tourists on an unexpected "extreme tourism" trip to the abandoned town of Prypiat, Ukraine near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Upon the conclusion of the tour they encounter their worst fears inside the abandoned and condemned town when they discover that they are not alone.




I went into this movie knowing practically nothing. I had seen news of it on Bloody-Disgusting and on other websites where I read movie news and I honestly thought it was a direct to DVD release that they were just trying to hype up. I watched the trailer for it, shrugged, and moved on. When a friend of mine texted me on Saturday asking if I wanted to see it I was shocked to hear it actually had a theatrical release.

I must admit that for a movie like this I was quite entertained. Of course it is a typical horror plot with dumb American tourists and stuff like that, but despite that it wasn't all that bad. There weren't really any effects to speak of (other than make-up), the atmosphere of the abandoned town near Chernobyl was pretty eerie, and I absolutely loved that you never get a full glance at the inhabitants. You know the tourists aren't alone and you see glimpses of the inhabitants but there is not a straight shot of one where the viewer can say, "oh damn!" That is a rare quality in current horror movies and I appreciate the hell out of that. It's not like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark where they show glimpses of the creatures and then show them in almost every scene from then on.

The main thing I didn't much care for, that I don't care for in general, is the use of jump scares. Maybe it's just because jump scares don't work for me but there were lots of them in this movie. I think they cheapen the film. Plus, the shaky camera trick was way overused. There is one part where four of the people find a cell phone with a recording of the other two and it was so shaky and spinning around I thought I was going to get a migraine. Other than that I can't really think of anything I could say I hated, though.


Overall I would say this is a fun one. I had fun seeing it in theaters and don't feel like I wasted money, so I would say go for it in theaters before it disappears. If you don't want to see it in a theater definitely go for it on DVD. It wasn't a waste and I am kind of surprised to be saying that.