Dating back to the debut installment, a key component of every movie in the Paranormal Activity franchise was that it unfolded in the found-footage format. The challenge for filmmakers, then, was figuring out new ways to use cameras and technology to set themselves apart from their predecessors, whether that meant using drone footage or VHS camcorders in flashbacks. In that sense, it came as a major shock when it was revealed that the franchise was making the jump to being a theatrical production.
That risk paid off, as Paranormal Activity Live first became a hit in London before it came to Broadway. Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage opened this past August, and in response to a number of sold-out performances, Playbill confirms that the production has extended its run. Initially set to close on January 3, 2027, it will now run until February 28, 2027.
Directed by Felix Barrett and written by playwright Levi Holloway, the stage show follows James and Lou, who move from Chicago to London to escape their past. Upon discovering a haunting presence in their home, they use a camera to document the unsettling shadow. The production stars Cher Álvarez as Lou, Travis A. Knight as James, Shannon Cochran as Carolanne, and Eva Kaminsky as Etheline Cotgrave.
Earlier this year, Barrett explained his interest in the project to Bloody Disgusting and his overall approach to adapting a found-footage phenomenon into a theatrical event.
“I jumped on this because I loved the film. I immediately said yes to adapting it before actually really thinking it through. Then, as soon as Levi [Holloway] was on board, it was a discussion about the presentation style,” the director shared. “Found footage works very well for the medium of film, but if we’re doing something live for the stage, then we need to adapt the medium for the stage. There was actually an earlier version of the script where we started inside the theater, and we were being quite literal about everything.”
He continued, “Very quickly we decided that we can’t have cameras everywhere because it will remove the audience from the experience and create some distance from the thrills, tragedy, and shock of it all. So we instead went back to the element from the films that this is a real couple. They weren’t famous actors. It was shot as completely truthfully as possible. So we took that plausibility and tried to apply it to the stage. We really wanted the audience to feel like they’re the camera and voyeuristically looking into this house. Nothing is played out to the front of the stage. It needs to feel quite intimate because you, as an audience member, are essentially in the same role.”
Will you be checking out the production? Let us know in the comments below!
