Paranormal Activity (franchise)
A found-footage horror franchise about a demon named Tobi.
Paranormal Activity is an American supernatural horror series that includes seven movies and other media. Oren Peli created the franchise; the first film came out in 2007 and got a wide release in 2009. The most recent installment, *Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin*, debuted in 2021, and an eighth movie is currently being made. The films usually follow families haunted by a demon called "Tobi," which stalks, terrifies, and eventually kills family members and others. The series uses production cameras set up as security systems or recording devices to present the footage as if it were found. Critical reception has been mixed overall: the first and third films got generally positive reviews, the second received mixed ones, and the fourth through seventh were mostly negative. Financially, the franchise was a strong success, earning more than thirty times its total budget.
The first film, *Paranormal Activity* (2007), is set in October 2006 and follows a young couple, Katie and Micah, who move into a new house in San Diego, California. They are terrorized by a demon that has haunted Katie since childhood. The movie is presented as found footage, with Micah filming the activity.
*Paranormal Activity 2* (2010) takes place from August to October 2006, starting two months before the first film. Katie’s sister Kristi and her family live in Carlsbad, California, and experience strange events after her baby, Hunter, is born. Security cameras and a handheld camera capture the activity.
*Paranormal Activity 3* (2011) is set in September 1988 and focuses on a younger Katie and Kristi, who live with their mother Julie and her boyfriend Dennis in Santa Rosa, California. They encounter the demon Tobi for the first time. Dennis sets up several cameras around the house with help from his friend Randy, who also meets the demon. One camera is attached to an oscillating fan, moving between the kitchen and living room; Dennis also uses a handheld camera.
*Paranormal Activity 4* (2012) occurs in November 2011 and centers on Alex Nelson and her family in Henderson, Nevada. After Katie and her mysterious son Robbie move in across the street, the family experiences hauntings involving Alex’s adopted brother Wyatt. Alex and her boyfriend Ben record the activity using MacBook webcams, a video camera, an iPhone, and Kinect technology.
*Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones* (2014) is
- field
- Supernatural horror film franchise
- nationality
- American
- creator
- Oren Peli
- first_film_release
- 2007 (premiere), 2009 (wide release)
- latest_film_release
- 2021
- number_of_films
- 7 (with an eighth in production)
- financial_performance
- Grossed over thirty times the overall budget
Lore & Background
The franchise began with Oren Peli, a first-time director who had been afraid of ghosts his whole life. He spent a year preparing his own house for shooting, repainting walls, adding furniture, and building a stairwell. Peli researched paranormal phenomena and demonology, deciding to make the supernatural entity a demon because research pointed to demons as the most malevolent and violent entities. The film was shot out of sequence over seven days, using a home video camera to create believability rather than action and gore. Actors were given outlines to improvise, a technique called 'retroscripting.' Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat were cast after Peli auditioned hundreds of people; they each received $500 for their work.
The series follows various families haunted by the demon Tobi. The first film is set in October 2006 in San Diego, California, focusing on couple Katie and Micah. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) is a prequel set in August to October 2006, following Katie's sister Kristi and her family in Carlsbad, California. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) goes back to September 1988, showing a younger Katie and Kristi in Santa Rosa, California, encountering Tobi for the first time. Later installments include Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) set in Henderson, Nevada; Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) set in Oxnard, California; Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) set in Santa Rosa; and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021) set in March 2021, following a woman making a documentary about an Amish community. An eighth film, Paranormal Activity 8, is scheduled for release on May 21, 2027.
Reader's Guide
The Paranormal Activity franchise is significant for its financial success, grossing over thirty times its overall budget despite receiving mixed to negative reviews for most entries. The first and third films received generally positive critical reception, while the second received mixed reviews, and the fourth through seventh received generally negative reviews. The series popularized the found-footage format in mainstream horror, using security cameras, webcams, and other recording devices to present the films as authentic footage. Its low-budget production model, starting with Oren Peli's seven-day shoot in his own house, demonstrated that a horror film could achieve massive returns with minimal investment. The franchise's legacy includes influencing subsequent found-footage horror and maintaining a dedicated fan base, with Paramount Pictures continuing to develop new installments, including a priority theatrical release for the eighth film.
Did You Know?
- The original film was shot out of sequence over seven days in Oren Peli's own house.
- Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat were each paid $500 for their work on the first film.
- The demon in the franchise is named 'Tobi.'
- The series as a whole has grossed over thirty times the overall budget.
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