'Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension' Trailer & Release Date: 5 Things to Know About Franchise-Ender
"Paranormal Activity" is haunting horror-suspense enthusiasts for the last time as makers of the franchise announced that the final installment, "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension," is set to hit the theaters in October.
In a report from USA Today, the producers of the hit virtual reality thriller film have announced that the series of horror flicks would finally be concluding after dominating the Halloween blockbuster with four past installments and a spin-off.
Here's a teaser of the trailer that would be revealed on June 23, at 11:59pm PDT.
Whether you're a fan of the movies or have never seen a single one of them, there are five things you should know.
How it All Started
Did you know that "Paranormal Activity" was shot with only a videotape recorder and a budget of $15,000?
Yes, creator and producer Oren Peli was able to piece together the first film that grossed over $383 million starring Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat who played the two main characters, Katie and Kristi.
Not only that, the other four films maintained a low budget and all became box office hits.
Why End It?
Producer Jason Blum himself declared that the upcoming film would be a finale to the series, adding that they are "not going to grind this horror franchise into the ground."
Blum also explained that one of their main reasons why they would end the "Paranormal Activity" craze because they have high hopes to keep it "as part of this culture and this particular time in a really fantastic way."
Introducing: Toby the Demon
According to USA Today, "The Ghost Dimension" would be the producer's means of answering hanging questions left by "Paranormal Activity 2" (2010), "Paranormal Activity 3" (2011), "Paranormal Activity 4" (2012) and "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" (2014).
Among these questions is the central mystery about Toby, the modern-day demon who goes on haunting families with still unknown connection.
"We couldn't go just teasing. All the questions that everyone has asked from the past Paranormal Activity films: What does Toby look like? What's the backstory to the families? These questions have been teased out. Now they will be answered," Blum said.
While the film had become a hit even if the makers kept Toby's presence a mystery, the makers of the movie decided that it is high time that they present this ever-looming entity to the audience because "people are very curious," producer Peli said.
The Fleeges Family
For those who were not able to follow the franchise, Toby is the powerful demon who haunted people, particularly two sisters named Kristi and Katie who then reappear after the Fleeges, a new family moves in to the sister's house.
The Fleeges family — Ryan (the father, played by Chris J. Murray), Emily (the mother, portrayed by Brit Shaw) and young Leila (the daughter played by Ivy George) — have enjoyed their stay in their new abode up until they found the haunted video camera that started it all.
With a box full of tapes, the family found video camera in the garage which triggers the beginning of the paranormal activities they witness in the house, including the re-emergence of young Katie and Kristi.
The Game
A report from VR Focus revealed that the "Paranormal Activity" phenomena would not just end in theaters, but would continue to haunt virtual reality devices.
According to the report, the Halloween box office hit would soon be available in virtual reality gadgets such as Morpheus, Oculus and Vive by 2016.
Aside from that, some information leaked that the world of "Paranormal Activity" would also be available in mobile platforms as well as Xbox One though no further details have been revealed yet.
"'Paranormal Activity' is the perfect property for VRWERX. This franchise represents a huge audience that loves visceral, unbridled terror, which we intend to intensify through the incredible immersion only virtual reality enables," Beast MG Co-Managing Partner Russell Naftal explained, adding that their goal is to make the found-footage horror film into the "scariest game" ever.