Thompson on Hollywood

'Paranormal Activity 4' Invites Fan Participation

News

When found-footage movie "Paranormal Activity" premiered in 2009, Paramount digital marketing started engaging with movie fans in a direct way. They encouraged viewers to create their own spoofs and renditions of the D-I-Y film.

By Maggie Lange
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October 1, 2012 7:01 AM
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'Catfish' Duo Joost & Schulman Tackle 'Monkey Wrench Gang' Adaptation with 'Bona Fide Stupidity'

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"The Monkey Wrench Gang," an adaptation of the 1975 Edward Abbey novel, will be written and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the pair behind "Catfish," "Paranormal Activity 3" and the upcoming "Paranormal Activity 4"). Edward Pressman will produce with Gary Burden. Pressman says the pair's take on the material will "connect to the humor and cultural zeitgeist of today in the same way Abbey’s book does."

By Sophia Savage
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May 7, 2012 4:50 PM
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Weekend Box Office: Saw 3D Wins Halloween Horror Duel

Saw 3D won the Halloween weekend box office battle between two mighty horror sequels with an estimated $24.2 million, ahead of Paranormal Activity 2, which dropped 59% to $16.5 million, reports Anthony D'Alessandro. (Check out his seven rules for horror success here.)In the battle between phantasms and slashers at the Halloween weekend box office, the latter won out as Lionsgate’s Saw 3D hooked the top spot with $24.2 million at 2,808 theaters --the fifth-best bow for the Jigsaw series. Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 2 dropped to second with $16.5 million, off 59% from its solid bow a week ago---not too bloody for a horror title, which can plunge as much as 70% on the second weekend.

By Anne Thompson
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October 31, 2010 4:04 AM
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The Horror, The Horror: Seven Rules for Success at the Box Office

With Halloween upon us, TOH box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro looks at what's working--and what isn't--among horror genre titles. He finds seven often counter-intuitive rules to follow for horror success.The Paranormal Activity franchise stands as a pillar of success for horror films over the last year, reviving the genre after a recent spate of bombs (i.e. Devil, Case 39, My Soul to Take, Let Me In). What makes a horror title live or die at the B.O.? Here's a primer for horror success: 1. Realism rules: “When you touch death or visceral things like the other world, it makes people feel more alive," says Scream exec producer Harvey Weinstein. "That’s the allure of something like horror.” Paranormal Activity producer Oren Peli is agreeing all the way to the bank: “What made Paranormal a success is that it feels small and intimate and it was important to stay true to this with the sequel,” he says. “While there are different types of horror films out there, i.e. gore, slasher, the slow psychological build of Paranormal scares people in a different way than being slashed apart.”

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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October 29, 2010 7:22 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Oscar Contenders Big and Small, Production News, Lawrence and Morgan Talk

AWARDS

By Sophia Savage
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October 29, 2010 6:06 AM
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Weekend Box Office: Paranormal Activity 2 Scares Up $41.5 million, Hereafter Delivers Decent Bow

Paranormal Activity 2 outperformed expectations with a jaw-dropping $41.5 million estimated opening weekend, thanks to Paramount's innovative interactive marketing campaign (see spot below). The studio held the top two spots with the horror sequel and Jackass 3D, Anthony D'Alessandro reports. In fact, with less product clogging multiplexes, films with strong WOM are holding better than ever, from Secretariat to The Social Network. (Here's IW's indie b.o. report.)Paranormal Activity 2 conjured up masses of moviegoers this weekend: the Paramount horror-thriller howled a hearty $41.5 million at 3,216 sites, a marvelous opening that outstrips the $30-million bows of several Saw chapters and marks a record for a horror film, outstripping the $40.6 million minted by 2009’sFriday the 13th reboot. Overseas, the sequel also pulled in $22 million in 21 territories. As anticipated heading into the weekend, Paramount delivered a double whammy, as it grabbed the No. 2 spot with holdover Jackass 3D, firing up a solid $21.6 million, off 57% -- a typical drop for guy fare.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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October 24, 2010 4:20 AM
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Paranormal Sequel Goes to Indie Director Williams

I'm a huge fan of The Door in the Floor (2004) starring this year's best actor Oscar winner Jeff Bridges. It was directed by Tod "Kip" Williams, who landed his second film by persuading author John Irving to sell him the rights to A Widow for One Year for a dollar, and then wrote a script that Bridges fell in love with, even though he didn't care for Williams' first film.