Paranormal Activity 3 movie broke US box-office records over the weekend, making a fourth instalment more likely than ever…
For proof that you should never write off a horror franchise too quickly, look no further than Paranormal Activity 3. While the original was a gigantic success, earning a staggering total gross of just over $193m on a microcosmic $15,000 budget, the second film, although lucrative (it made $177.5m), didn’t offer much more than a continuation of broadly the same scares as its predecessor.
When a third PA movie was announced, we were expecting the usual law of diminishing returns to apply. With Catfish directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman at the helm of a project with a larger budget than either of the first two films, and the promise of yet more dimly-lit rooms, ornaments falling over and static cameras, it’s fair to say our expectations were rather low for Paranormal Activity 3. How wrong we were – if anything, it marks a considerable upturn in the franchise, with some decent performances, and a sequence of scares that quickens in pace right up to a thoroughly chilling climax.
And as the estimates roll in for the weekend’s box-office takings, it seems that PA3 has exceeded financial expectations, too – Variety reports that the sequel wasn’t expected to land more than $40m in the US, but it’s estimated that the film actually grossed around $54. That’s an October record, and $10m higher than PA2.
Worldwide, it’s thought that PA3 has taken home a grand total of $80m so far, and given that the movie cost just $5m to make, these numbers surely mean that a fourth movie is pretty much a given - dollar for dollar, Paranormal Activity is the most lucrative film franchise ever.
From a creative standpoint, though, we hope the franchise continues to find new and unexpected ways to scare us – the introduction of Joost and Schulman has clearly paid off, and with a few simple yet cunning ideas, they’ve managed to breathe new life into a series that was in serious danger of going stale.
And as for the possibility of a sequel, a Paramount executive has already begun talking positively about one.
"I can't imagine that we wouldn't make a number four, and I imagine [Paramount president] Adam Goodman this morning is thinking about the challenge," Paramount’s Don Harris told The Wrap. "I'm sure he's thinking, 'Now what do I do?'"
If (or rather when) that sequel’s announced, we’d be very surprised if Joost and Schulman aren’t at the helm again.
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