New Paranormal Activity Movie Delayed a Full Year

Paramount Pictures has announced a series of release date changes to their feature film calendar as production on films is mostly halted by the coronavirus and the theatrical market remains at a fraction of its capacity. Among those movies that have been pushed back is the new entry in the Paranormal Activity franchise. Previously set to debut in theaters on March 19, 2021, the new film will now arrive on March 4, 2022, almost a full year later. This reboot of the found footage franchise wasn't the only film to be effected by the delays either as Paramount pushed back the new Scream movie to 2022.

Not much is known about the new Paranormal Activity movie other than the release date, but we do know that franchise producer Jason Blum is involvd as per usual and that Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon, who wrote parts two through five, will be returning to write a new film. While taking part in a fan Q&A, Blum was asked about the possibility of actress Katie Featherston returning to the franchise, to which he couldn't say.

"You're right, I couldn't tell you if I knew," Blum joked in a talk with Fandom back in June. "We're gonna do the movie. We're developing the movie, but I don't know where exactly the story's going to land. We're talking about different things. A hundred percent, we're making a movie, we just haven't gotten that far with the development. But I'll tell you this. I would love to bring her back and she's a great actress and she's an old friend and I hope we get to bring her back."

The Paranormal Activity franchise famously kick started the resurgence of "found footage" horror movies after the first film arrived in theaters in 2007 to the tune of $194 million worldwide on a budget of $15,000. The original film also helped put Blumhouse on the map, as its minimal budget yielded major profits when it was released, ultimately resulting in the franchise earning new installments on an almost annual basis and creating the model that the production company continues to follow today.

The first Paranormal Activity told the tale of a couple haunted by a demon in their home, documenting the affair with a consumer camcorder. Quickly the lore (and the budgets) of the follow-ups exploded, playing with time by being prequels, introducing witch covens, even including a 3D entry, and at one point featuring a wormhole back to the first film. Across its six movies, the Paranormal Activity series has brought in $890 million worldwide, higher than the likes of other horror franchises like Halloween, Final Destination, and Scream.