'Area 51' Trailer: Oren Peli's Sci-Fi Thriller Escapes The Vault

Area 51, in which a group of people breaks into the famed government alien holding area, is the long-shelved film from Oren Peli that was once intended to be a follow-up to Paranormal Activity. The film has been stuck in limbo with Paramount's small Insurge banner for quite some time; the last update on the film came in 2013, and before that 2011.

Now Area 51 is about to get a very short theatrical life. Along with Drunk Wedding, another Insurge film, Area 51 will play sixteen Alamo Drafthouse locations for one weekend in May, alongside their VOD debuts. The first Area 51 trailer is below. 

Last month it was reported that Insurge would be folded back into Paramount, and this move seems like a bit of housecleaning to give these movies some life before that transition is finalized. Check out the trailer to see what Insurge has had in its own vault.

Why has Insurge been sitting on the film for so long? Sure, it looks like a blatant copy of Peli's own Paranormal Activity, with aliens subbed in for supernatural elements. But many other films have done the same, We know there were reshoots and tweaks done to this one, so perhaps it really isn't any good.

Area 51 opens on Friday, May 15th and will run through Sunday, May 17th with one showtime daily at Alamo Drafthouse cinemas. The found footage horror film will also be available May 15th on VOD and all digital platforms. Trailer via Apple.

AREA 51" is directed by Oren Peli, written by Oren Peli and Christopher Denham and produced by Jason Blum and Steven Schneider. The film follows Reid, who has always been obsessed with UFOs. While on a weekend trip to Vegas, he convinces two friends to join him on a mission to break into Area 51, where they find terrifying proof of alien presence. Starring Reid Warner, Jamel King, Ben Rovner and Jelena Nik.