Movies
‘Paranormal Activity’ – The Found Footage Horror Franchise is Getting a Stage Play
Found footage horror evolves in an unexpected way: the Paramount horror movie series Paranormal Activity has a stage play in the works.
THR reports that “Simon Friend, the veteran producer who brought Life of Pi to Broadway, has picked up the license to the Paramount horror movie series with the intent of bringing it to the West End via his Simon Friend Entertainment.”
The stage play adaptation of Paranormal Activity is in early development and set to be penned by Levi Holloway, who previously wrote Grey House.
The 2007 found footage film that started it all, Paranormal Activity, was written and directed by Oren Peli. The microbudget feature, made on very little money, wound up grossing $193.4 million globally and successfully launched a franchise still going strong with Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, most recently released in 2021 on Paramount+. The movies have grossed almost $900 million theatrically, THR reports.
In the initial entry: “Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural presence. Hoping to capture evidence of it on film, they set up video cameras in the house but are not prepared for the terrifying events that follow.
The franchise runs seven films deep so far and an additional non-canon spinoff, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night. All include variations of a home under siege from a demonic presence, utilizing the found footage format. So, while there are no plot details on the stage play adaptation, it’s safe to assume that the demons will be involved.
Friend is no stranger to adapting films to stage plays, having adaptations on “both on Broadway and the West End, with The Da Vinci Code and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel among the better-known titles.” Friend’s adaptation of Life of Pi on Broadway has amassed five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards.
While it remains to be seen how found footage will translate to a West End production, we have an upcoming stage musical adaptation of horror-comedy Teeth arriving early next year to stave off the wait.
Two-time BAFTA winning filmmaker Joe Wright (Hanna, “Black Mirror“) is set to direct the feature adaptation of post-apocalyptic thriller novel, Juice, Deadline reports today.
Emmy winner Abi Morgan (Shame, “Eric”) will adapt Tim Winton‘s novel for Working Title Films.
In Juice, “A young husband and father is recruited into a top-secret resistance organization, to join the ranks of militia men tasked with targeting the isolated and wealthy culprits responsible for this global catastrophe. When a mission goes wrong, he finds himself on the run, having to fight to the end to survive in this hostile world.”
It’s set in a world ravaged by climate-change disaster.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled that Tim Winton has entrusted us with his extraordinary epic,” Wright told Deadline. “The story is both a thrilling modern family saga and an urgent call to action. I cannot wait for audiences to experience it on the big screen.”
Winton added, “I’m pleased to know a filmmaker of Joe Wright’s calibre has chosen to adapt Juice for the screen. His capacity to portray the turmoil and the turning points of nations and peoples as well as private individuals distinguishes his work as a director and I’m confident that Juice is in good hands.”
Juice was initially published in October 2024 and longlisted for The Climate Fiction Prize 2026.
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