Movies
Wait, Wait, ‘Paranormal’ Made $7m This Weekend?
We’ve been doing this for nine years now and I have never, and I mean NEVER seen anything like this. Like the movie or not, Paranormal Activity is something special. We’ve been behind the hype for films like Saw, Cabin Fever, The Ring, among other game changers, but this has my mind blown. We’ve seen hype before, but never like this, and apparently, it’s working. After a few weeks of sold out midnight screenings, Paramount Pictures’ $11k indie haunt film has pulled in an estimates $7 MILLION over the course of its full limited release this past weekend. What will happen when this goes wide on Friday? Will we have another Blair Witch on our hands? It looks highly possible and it’s all because of you. Like it or not, cherish this moment, you guys pushed a little indie film through the cracks and left big Hollywood scratching their heads. Editor’s Note: When you finally see this, tell the theater owner to crank up the volume!
Hollywood is serious about landing the next Backrooms. Hot on the heels of a Siren Head feature announcement, Deadline reports that a new movie based on viral YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue is in development.
It also has some Hollywood heavy hitters behind it.
Amblin Entertainment’s Steven Spielberg, United Artists’ Scott Stuber (Frankenstein), and Amazon MGM Studios are set to produce, emerging victorious after a highly competitive 11-studio bidding war.
Launched in 2021, the YouTube series is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin which is “invaded by shape-shifting, nearly immortal creatures called Alternates. The Alternates are led by a false depiction of the Archangel Gabriel and their aim is to wipe out the human race by psychologically torturing them to the point of suicide. The Alternates are known for manipulating AV media, TVs, computers and GPS systems.”
The movie will be directed by the series’ creator, Alex Kister, based on a screenplay he adapted with Tyler Clifton.
The Mandela Catalogue has racked up an impressive 100 million views across its official episodes alone, solidifying it as one of the largest original analog horror franchises on YouTube.
Spielberg and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures and Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists. Kister and Clifton are also producing. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists. Maria Fortese will oversee for Amblin.
Get acquainted with The Mangela Catalogue below while we wait to learn more.