One of the Biggest Horror Franchises of the 2000s Is Finally Returning (With a Master of the Genre Joining)

There have been some iconic horror franchises over the past few decades, and Blumhouse and Paramount have been home to several of those top-tier projects. There is one key franchise, however, that hasn’t hit the big screen in years, and it’s a franchise that dominated the box office and horror fans’ hearts in the 2000s. The good news is that not only is the franchise finally returning to the big screen, but it’s doing so with a master of the horror genre at the helm, and that combination could be the key to the franchise’s renewed success.

That combination will happen in the form of a brand new Paranormal Activity with horror maestro James Wan at the helm (via THR). Wan has a number of horror franchises on his resume already, including The Conjuring and Insidious, and now he’s bringing that expertise to a juggernaut of the 2000s in Paranormal Activity.

Wan’s company, Atomic Monster, is now part of Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, and the two are working with Paramount to co-finance and co-produce the film, which Paramount will distribute. The franchise is also welcoming back Oren Peli as a producer, and Blum will be producing as well. The new film is reportedly a priority for Paramount, Blumhouse, and Atomic Monster, and they are certainly putting some weight behind it.

That’s understandable, as the original Paranormal Activity was only made for $15,000 and ended up bringing in $194.2 million at the box office. There have been seven films in the franchise, with the last film, Next of Kin, released in 2021. Details on the new one are still scarce, but Blum does mention this as a rebirth for the franchise, so it seems we might be taking a back-to-basics approach for the next film.

“I’ve been a huge admirer of Paranormal Activity since the brilliant first movie, with its creeping slow burn and subtle ability to make the unseen terrifying. I’m looking forward to expanding on its legacy and helping shape the next evolution of this scary found-footage franchise,” Wan said.

“Diving in with James for this exciting rebirth of the franchise that started it all for Blumhouse is exactly what we dreamed of when we merged with Atomic Monster. I’ll be actively involved with him to introduce this new chapter,” Blum said. “Thankfully, we’re able to spend a little more than the $15,000 we had on the first movie, but one thing will remain the same — do not see it alone. We look forward to partnering with Josh Greenstein, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Jeff Shell and their teams at Paramount as we bring Paranormal Activity back to life.”

“We’re thrilled to reignite the iconic Paranormal Activity franchise with two of the horror genre’s most visionary talents, James and Jason,” said Paramount Pictures co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg. Jason’s role in shaping this franchise into a global cultural touchstone, together with James’ singular taste and track record for innovative storytelling, sets the stage for a thrilling new chapter.”

The new Paranormal Activity doesn’t have a release date yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

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