Paranormal Activity 2

20 Things to Know About PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 and the Franchise From Our Afternoon Tea with Oren Peli and the Cast

by Hunter Daniels    Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 4:57 pm

There is a lot Paranormal Activity grand maestro Oren Peli won’t talk about. He won’t talk about his long delayed Area 51. He won’t talk about any hypothetical projects or anyone he wants to work with in the future. He won’t give any specifics on his new TV series, The River. And he professes that he has no idea what Paranormal Activity 4 will look like. With this in mind, it is no great shock to announce that a recent afternoon tea with Peli, as well as Christopher Nicholas Smith, Chloe Csengery and Jessica Tyler Brown (all of Paranormal Activity 3) and Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston (stars of the original film) revealed no great secrets about the franchise’s future. Rather, much like the films themselves, it was an afternoon of looking back and filling in the holes and unanswered questions about what came before.

The players told us about the difficulty of faking amateur camerawork, why Steven Spielberg turned off the original film halfway through, how the production allows for scene ideas from literally everyone, where the original concept for Paranormal Activity 2 came from and much, much more. Read on for the top 20 things to know about our afternoon tea with the cast and crew of Paranormal Activity.

Relive All Three PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Movies for the Price of One; Friday, October 28th in Select Cities

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 27th, 2011 at 4:02 pm

What better time is there to see a scary movie than Halloween weekend? And what better horror franchise to relive than Paranormal Activity? For the price of admission to see Paranormal Activity 3, the current installment in theaters, you can see all three films in their chronological order. (That’s 3,1,2 for those of you who are confused as me.)

The franchise has dulled the blades of SAW in recent years, topping the October box office with each new installment. Now, Paramount Pictures and Regal Cinemas are bringing the whole Paranormal Activity family back to the screen in select cities. Hit the jump to see if the found-footage phenomenon is in your town this weekend.

Weekend Box Office – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 Claims October Opening Record with $54 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 23rd, 2011 at 10:06 am

Earlier this week, it seemed like Paranormal Activity 3 was looking at an opening weekend in the $35-$40 million range, or just slightly less than what its predecessor took in on this week last year.  Instead, the three-quel has crushed all projections with an estimated take of $54 million from 3,321 locations.  At this point that stands as the highest October debut and the biggest supernatural horror opening of all-time, unseating 2010’s Paranormal Activity 2, of course.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Paranormal Activity 3	$54,000,000	$54
2	Real Steel	$11,300,000	$67.2
3	Footloose	$10,900,000	$30.9
4	The Three Musketeers	$8,800,000	$8.8
5	Ides of March	$4,900,000	$29.1
6	Dolphin Tale	$4,500,000	$64.6
7	Moneyball	$4,100,000	$63.7
8	Johnny English	$3,800,000	$3.8
9	The Thing	$3,100,000	$14
10	50/50	$2,800,000	$28.7

Friday Box Office – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 Delivers Franchise-High $26.2 Million Opening

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 22nd, 2011 at 9:19 am

No shocks here.  After earning a franchise-best $8 million from its 2,200 midnight debuts, Paranormal Activity 3 went on to lead Friday with an estimated $26.2 million from 3,321 locations.  That marks another high for the three year-old franchise.  On its first Friday last year Paranormal Activity 2 took in $20.1 million and, by the law of diminishing returns, most box office watchers expected PA3 to chart a bit below its predecessor.  That may have proved true if recent frames had featured a breakout hit capable of siphoning off attendance from this new release, but that didn’t happen.  Instead, Paranormal 3 is expected to reach $50 million by Sunday: another franchise high.  With one movie dominating, the weekend’s other major new release – The Three Musketeers – is suffering.  After a disappointing Friday launch of $2.9 million from 3,017 locations the film is on its way to a weekend in the low double digits.  Finally, low-budget Johnny English Reborn (anyone recall him being born in the first place?) placed eighth on Friday with $1.1 million from 1,551 locations.  The fact that the film’s international gross is already nearing $100 million should soften that blow, however.  Details and analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Paranormal Activity 3	$26,200,000	$26.2
2	Footloose	$3,500,000	$23.5
3	Real Steel	$3,200,000	$59.1
4	The Three Musketeers	$2,900,000	$2.9
5	Ides of March	$1,500,000	$25.8

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 Blu-ray Review

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: June 2nd, 2011 at 5:39 am

After the low budget, found footage, horror phenomenon Paranormal Activity took audiences by storm, a sequel was inevitable. And so that brings us to Paranormal Activity 2 which delivers the same kind of scares and voyeuristic storytelling as the first, but with a unique twist that made this sequel all the more engaging and essentially, just as scary and suspenseful as the first film. After the jump I’ll be venturing into spoiler territory in my review of the Blu-ray release of this horror film, so you’ve been warned.

Friday Box Office – MEGAMIND Rules with $12.5 Million; DUE DATE A Close Second with $12 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 6th, 2010 at 9:01 am

Despite big debuts like Jackass 3D and Paranormal Activity 2, this year’s crop of recent box-office releases have fallen well-below 2009 numbers week after week.  But if Friday’s numbers are any indication, this week’s three high-profile newcomers could finally break that cycle (only a bit less impressive when you know that, on this weekend in 2009, the top film was Disney’s creepy redux of A Christmas Carol). First this Friday was Megamind. The comedy pulled in an estimated $12.5 million from its 3,944 locations – but with a record 2,634 3D sites, the weekend grosses should top the $43.7 million of How To Train Your Dragon. Only a bit behind Megamind in second place was Todd Phillips’ Due Date with an estimate of $12 million. Weekend projections give the comedy $35 million despite its R-rating and stiff family-friendly competition. Finally, Tyler Perry brought in an estimated $7.4 million on Friday with his drama For Colored Girls. Despite the fact that film does not feature the director in drag, weekend projections put his latest release in the neighborhood of $20 million – the very same neighborhood that Perry has grown accustomed to over the past few years. We’ll have full weekend details when you check back tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Megamind	$12,500,000	$12.5
2	Due Date	$12,000,000	$12
3	For Colored Girls	$7,400,000	$7.4
4	Saw 3D	$2,600,000	$33.2
5	Red	$2,500,000	$65.5

Weekend Box Office – SAW 3D Collects $24.2 Million on Tepid Halloween Weekend

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 31st, 2010 at 9:23 am

It’s Halloween, and you know what that means! Big rusty traps that split your jaw, crawling naked through broken glass and, of course, the fun of cutting off your own foot. You know. The classics. For the seventh year running a Saw movie has been submitted by Lionsgate for your approval. Through the magic of 3D, the franchise that gave us last year’s anemic Saw VI had a chance to redeem itself. And it kind of delivered.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Saw 3D	$24,200,000	$24.2
2	Paranormal Activity 2	$16,500,000	$65.7
3	Red	$10,800,000	$58.9
4	Jackass 3D	$8,500,000	$101.7
5	Hereafter	$6,400,000	$22.2
6	Secretariat	$5,000,000	$44.7
7	The Social Network	$4,700,000	$79.7
8	Life as We Know It	$4,200,000	$43.7
9	The Town	$2,000,000	$87.6
10	Conviction	$1,800,000	$2.4

Friday Box Office – SAW 3D Puts Franchise Back On Top with $10.7 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 30th, 2010 at 8:58 am

It looks like there was a little buzz left in the Saw Franchise after all. The “Most Successful Horror Franchise in History” hit a rough patch in 2009 when its sixth installment – provocatively titled Saw VI – failed to deliver what had been the franchise’s box office hallmark: a big opening.  With a dismal $14.1 million debut weekend, Saw VI fell victim to the insurgent Paranormal Activity… and its own played out premise. But thanks to an added dimension, Saw 3D has regained some of its predecessor’s former glory. Opening in 2,808 locations (the smallest opening since the original Saw debuted in 2004), Saw 3D captured an estimated $10.7 million – including $1.7 million from Thursday and midnight previews. That puts it on track for a weekend just under $28 million; not exactly a groundswell considering that Saw II-V easily topped that amount without those extra-pricey 3D tickets. Still, Saw 3D was able to scare Paranormal Activity 2 into second place so Jigsaw has been avenged!… sort of. Full details on the Halloween box office tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Saw 3D	$10,700,000	$10.7
2	Paranormal Activity 2	$5,800,000	$54.9
3	Red	$3,400,000	$51.4
4	Jackass 3D	$3,100,000	$96.2
5	Hereafter	$2,100,000	$17.9

Jeff Scares up Four Possible Plotlines for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

by Jeff Ames    Posted: October 25th, 2010 at 11:26 am

Now that Paranormal Activity 2 has emerged as a bona fide box office smash, it’s time to consider possible outcomes for the inevitable threequel that is sure to come our way in the not-too-distant future. While confirmation has yet to surface regarding a second sequel to the most profitable film of all time, it’s a safe bet that Paramount Pictures will fast track one as soon as possible. So where does the series go from here?  I’ve come up with four possible outlines for the third film and you can check them out after the jump.

Weekend Box Office – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 On Top with $41.5 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 24th, 2010 at 9:27 am

It’s another weekend for the box office record books. Sort of. One week after Jackass 3D claimed the month’s highest opening weekend with $50.3 million, Paranormal Activity 2 has scored the highest opening ever for a supernatural horror flick. In terms of general horror titles, PA2 now ranks third.  First or third, with an estimate of over $41 million, the sequel is opening scary-huge.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Paranormal Activity 2	$41,500,000	$41.5
2	Jackass 3D	$21,600,000	$87.1
3	Red	$15,000,000	$43.4
4	Hereafter	$12,000,000	$12.3
5	The Social Network	$7,200,000	$72.8
6	Secretariat	$7,000,000	$37
7	Life As We Know It	$6,300,000	$37.4
8	Legend of the Guardians	$3,100,000	$50
9	The Town	$2,700,000	$84.6
10	Easy A	$1,700,000	$54.7

Friday Box Office – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 Leads with $19 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: October 23rd, 2010 at 8:42 am

One year ago, box office observers were gushing over the obscene amount of money Paramount was making with Paranormal Activity. You remember. The studio picked up the film for about three dollars and then marketed it into one of 2009’s most successful R rated releases – certainly the most profitable. It was a Cinderella story (with screaming and shaky camera work) that gave us all something to cheer last October. One year later, here comes the sequel. Paranormal Activity 2 was made for $3 million but, aside from that, not a lot has changed. Audiences made PA2 Friday’s number one film with a very impressive $19 million from 3,216 locations. That estimate includes the film’s record setting $6.3 million earned from Thursday midnight screenings. Weekend projections are now expected to top $36 million. That knocks Paramount’s other over-achiever, Jackass 3D, into second place. Finally, Clint Eastwood’s latest film seems to have struck a bad note with audiences and critics alike. The director’s supernatural drama Hereafter went wide this weekend but could only scare up $4 million for a fourth place finish. Full details tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Paranormal Activity 2	$19,000,000	$19
2	Jackass 3D	$7,700,000	$73.2
3	Red	$4,500,000	$32.9
4	Hereafter	$4,000,000	$4.3
5	The Social Network	$2,275,000	$67.8

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: October 22nd, 2010 at 9:16 am

Perhaps it is impossible to capture lightning in a bottle, but do not tell Paramount Pictures that because they damn near did it. Paranormal Activity 2 may not relish in the “Demand It!” campaign that made its forebear such a hit, but in many ways, the film is equal to the task of giving you the midnight willies and providing a handful of scares that will make the entire theater gasp. This feels less like something born of the success of the first film and slapped together, but as if they took notes and cues from audiences, and gave them an extra helping of what they wanted. More scares spaced throughout that begin early, a better and larger cast of characters, and a storyline that builds onto the existing premise. The only fumble is the abrupt end, which feels more like a whimper than the bang at the end of the first. For those that enjoyed the first film, this is an absolute must see, and a worthy experience for those that did not see the original with one caveat: see it first. Simply buying a ticket to the sequel will get you a copy of the first film, so you have no excuse. Hit the jump for details on seeing both films and why Paranormal Activity 2 is such a success.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 Screened; Watch Footage of People Reacting Inside the Theater

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 21st, 2010 at 10:24 am

Last night, Paramount premiered Paranormal Activity 2 in selected theaters across the country.   While some might have wondered if the studio could catch lighting in a bottle for a second straight year, if the lines from last night’s screening are any indication, Paranormal Activity 2 is going to have a huge opening weekend.   Will it beat Jackass 3D’s $50 million dollar opening weekend…I don’t know.  But I do think Paranormal Activity 2 is going to surprise everyone who writes about the weekend box office.

The thing that Paranormal Activity has going for it is that it’s a film you want to see in a crowded theater.  That feeling of being scared in a room full of strangers can’t be recreated at home while watching a DVD.  It’s the main reason I want to see the movie this weekend.

Anyway, at last night’s premiere at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood, Paramount recorded the audience watching the movie and after the jump you can see the people’s reactions to the footage.  It’s pretty funny.

Exclusive: Oren Peli on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2; Does he Think it Can be a Franchise Like SAW and What is He Working on Now?

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 20th, 2010 at 9:38 am

Before getting to speak with writer-director Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) on the red carpet at this year’s Scream Awards, I was told he was pretty guarded when talking about future projects.  They were not wrong.  That’s because while Peli was more than happy to talk about his involvement in Paranormal Activity 2 and whether or not the films could become a franchise like Saw, when I started asking him questions about his follow up film, Area 51, he immediately started to stonewall me.  I’ve interviewed a number of people over the last few years and most are willing to at least acknowledge their next project…not Peli.

However, while he wouldn’t tell me anything on Area 51, we did talk about whether or not he’s willing to direct something he didn’t write, is he going to only work in the studio system, could he see a Paranormal Activity 3 next Halloween, and is he writing other projects.  Hit the jump watch what he had to say.  As usual, I’ve time indexed the interview so you can watch the parts that interest you.

New PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 Trailer

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 1st, 2010 at 10:31 am

A new trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 is now available online.  Much like the film’s first trailer, the second makes extensive use of the well-known fact that “babies = scary.”  Unlike last year’s breakout hit which was written/directed by Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity 2 was directed by Tod “Kip” Williams from a screenplay by Michael Perry.  Having enjoyed the theater experience provided by the original, I’ll probably be checking out the sequel as well.  Recycled premise or not, you still can’t beat being surrounded by fellow theatergoers who are legitimately frightened.  It truly makes for a fun midnight showing.

To check out the trailer, hit the jump.  Paranormal Activity 2 opens October 22nd with said midnight screenings beginning October 21st.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design