Posted on: January 20th, 2010 Paranormal Activity 2 Director, Release Date
Before Avatar there was Paranormal Activity, the low budget… no, make that micro budget horror film that stirred audiences everywhere into frantic, ticket-buying machines, making it one of the most profitable films of the year.
While I really enjoyed the film – see my original review – it can really only survive on its own. In other words, this ain’t a franchise. But, when the iron is hot you strike, and that’s exactly what Paramount is doing. It was made official a few days ago that Paranormal Activity 2 will be released on October 22 this year, with Saw VI director Kevin Greutert behind the camera. The sequel will be written by Michael R. Perry (whose only writing credits include television shows here and there) and Oren Peli, director and co-writer of the first film, will produce.
There are couple things that worry me about this. First off, a continuation of the Micah/Katie story isn’t going to work (well) without dabbling into the already-compared-to-death-to Blair Witch territory – we all remember how great that sequel was. That leaves only one way, a completely different story with different characters capturing freaky footage under he guise of reality. At that point you’re just chipping away at the heart of the project. Now you’re just embracing a gimmick. Part of what made Paranormal Activity so successful and effective, was the fact that the film was this unknown thing. Although you can debate their relative quality, it’s the same reason the first Saw film worked with audiences. And that’s my fear exactly – like Saw, we’ll be getting a new Paranormal Activity every single Halloween, each one more contrived than the last, with static, cardboard characters moving linearly from one money-shot to the next.
But hey, that could just be the pessimism talking; if we can get a Paranormal Activity sequel that provides an equally entertaining yet different theater experience, then I’m all for it.
More on PA2, or P2r2norm2l 2ctivity, as it will most likely be called, as it breaks.
Source: THR
One Response to “Paranormal Activity 2 Director, Release Date”
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Lionsgate Pulls Paranormal Director Back to Saw « Giant Killer Squid - Film, Comics, News, Reviews and more Says:
January 26th, 2010 at 10:15 pm[...] couple of weeks ago we reported that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert had signed to direct Paranormal Activity 2, which was official, [...]