Paranormal Activity 7 Gets A Proper Title, Proper R-Rating
We've got some important information for fans of found footage horror. The upcoming seventh installment of the "Paranormal Activity" franchise has a title and is officially going to be R-rated. While much remains mysterious about the return of the series, it is set to arrive on Paramount+ next month.
Get Ready for the Next of Kin
Per the MPAA, the film has officially been titled "Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin." What's more, the organization has handed down an R rating to the horror flick "for violence and bloody images, and language throughout." Good to know that Paramount and Blumhouse aren't toning things down this time around. Unfortunately, for the time being, plot details are being kept entirely under wraps.
Christopher Landon ("Happy Death Day") penned the screenplay for the latest installment. William Eubank ("Underwater") is in the director's chair. Blumhouse head Jason Blum is producing, as is Landon and franchise creator Oren Peli. This is familiar territory for Landon, as he wrote not one but four of the sequels, from "Paranormal Activity 2" up through the fifth entry, "The Marked Ones."
The previously announced cast includes Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert and Henry Ayres-Brown.
It's Been a Little While
Paramount was cashing checks on an almost annual basis after the first "Paranormal Activity" became one of the most financially successful movies ever made back in 2009. The ultra-low budget found-footage horror flick became a downright pop culture sensation. Five sequels were released between 2010 and 2015. But 2015's "The Ghost Dimension" was the last entry and the franchise went dormant for some time.
Horror has a way of coming back again and again. To date, the series has earned $890 million worldwide so it was difficult to imagine this one staying dead forever. Though, in keeping with the times, "Next of Kin" will debut exclusively on Paramount+. It is a pure streaming play for the studio as it looks to compete with titans in that arena such as Netflix and Disney+. Not to mention HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and the many others getting in on that market. Worth noting: it has been described as a reboot.
The question is, will they get enough subscribers and attention from that streaming release to make up for what might have otherwise been earned through ticket sales? It's tough to say. But these movies tend to be made for a dime and earn big money. If nothing else, it signifies just how important streaming has become to big studios. For better or for worse.
With any luck, this means we should be seeing a trailer sooner rather than later. We'll be sure to get that in front of your eyeballs as soon as we can.
"Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin" is set to stream on Paramount+ on October 29, 2021.