Movies

‘Saw’ Director Conjures Up ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ for Historic Battle!

Published

14 years ago

January 19, 2010

This is hilarious, awesome and epic all in one. Kevin Greutert, the director of Saw VI, will be getting behind the camera for Paramount Pictures’ Paranormal Activity 2. This is where it gets awesome; Paramount has slated the film for release on October 22 putting it toe-to-toe with Lionsgate’s Saw VII. The funny part is that Saw was literally pounded by Paranormal this past October, so to see the director of the sixth film jump franchises has me giggling a little bit – especially since Lionsgate decided to go back with David Hackl (who directed the lousy Saw V) instead of Greutert (who I personally thought did a remarkable job on VI) for the latest Jigsaw game in 3-D. Confused? Good. That’ll teach you. Read on for the full announcement.
From the Heat Vision Blog on THR:

“Something’s moving in the “Paranormal Activity 2” house.

Paramount has hired screenwriter Michael R. Perry and director Kevin Greutert to create the sequel to 2009’s biggest surprise hit, “Paranormal Activity,” which scared up $151 million in worldwide grosses in the fall on a shoestring $15,000 budget and a shrewd, opt-in Web marketing campaign.

Significantly, Paramount will unleash it in theaters on the pre-Halloween weekend of October 22, which sets it against that date’s reigning champion in previous years, the next installment in Lionsgate’s “Saw” series (this year would be “VII”). In a symbolic twist, Greutert made his directorial debut on the sixth “Saw” film, which grossed just $31 million worldwide, with observers thinking that the franchise may be bleeding dry.

Jason Blum and Oren Peli, who masterminded the first “Activity,” are producing the second iteration. Steven Schneider will serve as executive producer.

“These guys get it, and the fans won’t be disappointed,” said Peli of Perry and Greutert’s participation.

Unsurprisingly, the filmmakers are keeping the story line — as well as the film’s actual title — hidden in the attic.“

Movies

‘Alien’ (1979) and ‘The Mummy’ (1999) Just Battled at the Box Office; Which One Came Out On Top?

Published

1 hour ago

April 29, 2024

John Squires

It was a very interesting weekend at the box office here in the United States. While the Sam Raimi-produced action-thriller Boy Kills World failed to make a splash and Radio Silence’s hugely entertaining vampire movie Abigail continues to make far less money than it deserves, two genre movies from the distant past managed to make their own mark on the charts.

Both Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror classic Alien and the Brendan Fraser-starring action-horror movie The Mummy (1999) were re-released into theaters, the former film celebrating its 45th anniversary and the latter movie returning to theaters for its 25th anniversary.

Which film came out on top, you might be wondering? The original Alien won this particular battle, coming in at #11 on the weekend charts. The Mummy currently sits in the #14 spot.

While Alien scared up $1,563,000 in its re-release weekend and The Mummy pulled in a bit less at $1,040,000, it’s important to note that Alien received a wider release. Alien found its way into 1,750 theaters, while The Mummy was re-released into 1,236 theaters. If released in the same amount of theaters, it’s pretty safe to say those numbers would be even closer.

The bigger story here is that Alien – a 45 year old movie – made just about as much this past weekend as Boy Kills World ($1,675,475), a new release that opened in 1,993 theaters. It’s a testament to the enduring power of both Alien and The Mummy that they each had million dollar weekends all these years later, and a reminder that theaters provide something extra special to audiences that they can’t quite get from streaming and physical media releases at home. If theaters are playing something audiences actually want to see, they will show up.

Both Alien and The Mummy are still playing in theaters as we start a brand new week, so be sure to check your local listings if you’re eager to revisit them on the biggest screen possible.

They’re now playing for a limited time only.