The Writer And Director Of The PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Sequel Are...

Merrick here...
When PARANORMAL ACTIVITY director Oren Peli sold his newest concept - AREA 51 - to Paramount, it was widely assumed Peli's post-51 project would be a sequel to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. Seems there will be a sequel to that film, but it sounds like Peli won't be directing it. He will, however, be producing it. I'm betting Paramount wants the new PARANORMAL so soon that Peli wouldn't be able to make it himself (he's still finishing AREA 51 & the PARANORMAL sequel will have to move immediately to meet its desired release date).

Paramount has hired screenwriter Michael R. Perry and director Kevin Greutert to create the sequel to 2009’s biggest surprise hit, “Paranormal Activity,” which scared up $151 million in worldwide grosses in the fall on a shoestring $15,000 budget and a shrewd, opt-in Web marketing campaign.

...syas The Hollywood Reporter HERE. Director Greutert comes to the project from the SAW franchise - he directed the sixth installment of that series, and edited #s 2, 3, 4, and 5. Writer Perry has previously scripted multiple episodes of MILLENNIUM, LAW & ORDER: SVU (he was also a producer on that series), and THE DEAD ZONE for television. I'm all for a good paranormal movie, and didn't dislike PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. But I'm just not seeing how a sequel to this will work without being either frustratingly unrelated, or completely derivative. Maybe the new one will be a documentary/investigation of the first film's events, or something. A team coming in to chronicle & discover what really happened in the original movie, or somesuch? Or, is that too close to BLAIR WITCH 2? I don't recall that film very well. I guess we'll find out soon enough - the PARANORMAL sequel is slated for a Halloween(ish) release later this year...
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