James Wan To Direct 'Paranormal Activity'
Paramount revives the found‑footage staple with Wan, Jason Blum and Oren Peli steering a theatrical comeback.
Summary
- The Paranormal Activity franchise is returning with an eighth film, set as a priority theatrical project for Paramount and the new Blumhouse-Atomic Monster
- Horror architects James Wan and Jason Blum are producing, signaling a major franchise “rebirth”
- Wan aims to expand the found-footage legacy with a bigger budget and return the series to the big screen
The Paranormal Activity franchise is officially rising from the grave with an eighth film, positioned as a priority theatrical project for Paramount and the newly merged Blumhouse-Atomic Monster powerhouse.
Horror architect James Wan joins the series for the first time as producer alongside Jason Blum and original creator Oren Peli, setting up a crossover of genre empires behind the camera. Plot, cast and director details are under wraps, but the tone is clear: this is being framed as a “rebirth of the franchise that started it all for Blumhouse,” with a significantly bigger budget than the $15,000 original while still promising “do not see it alone.”
Wan calls himself “a huge admirer of Paranormal Activity” and says he wants to “expand on its legacy and help shape the next evolution of this scary found-footage franchise,” signaling a back-to-basics tension play rather than franchise fatigue.
The move comes after Blumhouse’s merger with Wan’s Atomic Monster, effectively consolidating the minds behind Saw, The Conjuring, Insidious and Paranormal Activity under one horror mega-label.
Paramount’s top brass are leaning into the IP’s legacy, calling the series a “global cultural touchstone” and positioning this chapter as a fresh, event-level scare machine after 2021’s streaming-only Next of Kin.
