Horror visionaries James Wan and Jason Blum are working with Paramount Pictures to summon a new Paranormal Activity movie into theaters.
Word on a revival for the found-footage franchise comes from THR, which reports the series’ first new film since 2021’s Next of Kin is already in the works. Wan, best known for his work as director for The Conjuring and the original Saw, is on board as a producer alongside Blum via Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
Paramount is attached as co-financer, co-producer, and distributor, with original director Oren Peli also in the mix as a producer via Solana Films. Room 101 Inc.’s Steven Schneider is also on board to executive produce alongside Blumhouse-Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott. Alayna Glasthal will oversee for the company.
Details related to the creative team behind the new Paranormal Activity movie, as well as its plot and release date, remain a mystery for now. Though it’s unclear when exactly the project will fully materialize, it’s said to be a “priority for both Paramount and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.”
Wan has touched everything from Insidious to Aquaman, but working with Paranormal Activity’s supernatural entities marks new ground for the filmmaker. The low-budget original installment launched to massive success upon its premiere in 2007, drawing a global box office haul just short of $200 million (via Box Office Mojo) with its small scale, simple premise, and commitment to found-footage horror.
“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,” Wan said. “I’m looking forward to expanding on its legacy and helping shape the next evolution of this scary found-footage franchise.”
Paranormal Activity’s strong start naturally spawned sequels before taking a break with its sixth film, The Ghost Dimension, in 2015. Next of Kin had been propped up as somewhat of a reboot for the ghost story film franchise before its Paramount+ release but failed to gain much traction amongst critics (we gave it a 4/10) and fans. It’s unclear if Wan, Blum, Peli, and Paramount’s eighth crack at Paranormal Activity will acknowledge the events of past films.
“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,” Blum added. “I’ll be actively involved with him to introduce this new chapter. 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 gave Paranormal Activity an 8/10 review upon its release. We called it one of our favorite haunted house movies in 2018. For more, you can read up on the official Paranormal Activity video game set to launch in 2026.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
