When the original Paranormal Activity hit theaters, the low-budget horror flick took the film world by storm. Whether you love or hate the original, or its spawned sequels, the films have done what a lot of other horror movies could not. Paranormal Activity made people talk.
Today saw an official announcement from Paramount, stating that Paranormal Activity 4 will open nationwide on Oct 19. With two prequels under their belt, is there anything else we can learn about Katie and her sister Kristi?
I have to admit that, as a fan of the franchise, the last film lacked frights promised by the trailer. For instance, I still want to see the house engulfed in flames that has been mentioned since the original film. There is so much more that could have been shown in the third installment that was not, but that does not mean the franchise warrants another sequel/prequel. In fact, because of the lack of twists and turns and high expectations that were not met, I was fine with the franchise as it was. Now there is a forth film on the way, but no other details are known at this point.
In my opinion, there is only one true way to keep the original story going: Hunter. If there has to be a fourth movie, what I would love to see is Hunter all grown up and maybe even normal. The idea of him escaping Katie’s grasp is an interesting idea. Maybe he has his own family and has remained on the run all these years. Each time he knows she is close, he manages to escape once more and throw her off his trail. A great climax would be her finally hunting him down in a final demonic showdown where his soul is taken. This way all the questions from Paranormal Activity 2 can finally be answered.
I must say that I do believe Oren Peli when he says, “We are never going to make a sequel just for the sake of making a sequel.” At the same time, I cannot help but to wonder if any of the discussions will provide fans with the sequel we should have gotten when Paranormal Activity 3 arrived in theaters.
The truth is, as long as the movies can be produced for small amounts of cash, they will be made. The series’ debut apparently cost $15,000 to make and grossed $193.4 million worldwide! The second cost $3 million to produce and grossed $177.5 worldwide. The third cost an estimated $5 million and grossed $202.2 million worldwide, which is unprecedented for a third outing.
While the films’ budgets have gone up, one has to remember what made the first film successful, in order to tweak it enough to keep the franchise alive. While predictability should be the downfall of the franchise, as long as a few frights are provided, audiences will keep flocking to the theaters.
However, with this installment, we should be demanding more than a mere fifteen minutes of scares and more answers. In the very least, that is what the fans deserve.
What direction do you think Paranormal Activity 4 should take?
Source: THR
