After four successful entries in their popular Paranormal Activity horror franchise, Paramount Pictures has officially set a release date for the series’ fifth installment, unsurprisingly entitled Paranormal Activity 5.
The film is now officially scheduled to hit theaters just before next Halloween on October 25th, 2013, but there’s still no word on whether or not it will have a simultaneous IMAX release like its predecessor Paranormal Activity 4.
Story details for the next chapter in the found-footage horror series have been scarce, but reports indicate that series’ star Katie Featherston will reprise her role of Katie, who is still possessed by the demon, in the film.
The series’ latest entry, Paranormal Activity 4, was released on October 19th and has grossed $135 million worldwide on an operating budget of $5 million. No news as of yet if the film’s directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who also helmed the third chapter in the series, will return to direct its sequel.
As soon as Paranormal Activity 5 was announced, online entertainment forums everywhere let out a groan of exasperation. Of course the films aren’t anything special, but they have a solid fan base and continue to make money. When a film grosses $135 million on a budget of $5 million, a sequel is a no-brainer for any studio executive (I don’t think I need to do the math for you).
I actually enjoyed the first Paranormal Activity film. I saw it in theaters the first week it was released and thought it was a pretty original take on the horror genre at the time. Obviously, after several sequels, the originality gets lost, but there’s still an audience for that type of film out there. As long as Paranormal Activity films make money, then studios will continue to make Paranormal Activity films.
Are you a Paranormal Activity fan? Will you see Paranormal Activity 5 in theaters? Let us know in the comments below.