'Paranormal Activity' Sequel And New 'Pet Sematary' Prequel Headed Straight To Paramount+
The upcoming Paranormal Activity movie is headed right to Paramount+ – and it has company. A new Pet Sematary film, which will serve as a prequel to the 2019 adaptation of Stephen King's horror classic, is headed to the nascent streaming service as well. The news comes as part of Paramount's plan to overhaul their release strategy as the theatrical experience is called more into question as streaming becomes dominant.
Paramount announced big plans to change up their approach to new movies today, revealing that big blockbuster titles like new Mission: Impossible sequels and A Quiet Place Part II would debut on their streaming service Paramount+ 45 days after they hit theaters. But the studio is also planning to release titles straight to Paramount+, skipping theaters entirely.
One such title is the new Paranormal Activity movie. We've already reported on this one – it will be written by Christopher Landon, the filmmaker behind the Happy Death Day films as well as Freaky, and directed by William Eubank, who helmed the excellent monster movie Underwater. There are no real plot details at the moment, but we know that the new Paranormal Activity movie is going to be a "new, unexpected chapter" in the saga. The first Paranormal Activity arrived in 2007 and became a monster hit, launching several sequels and an increasingly confusing mythology.
Another title destined for Paramount+ is a new Pet Sematary movie. This is described as an origin story for Stephen King's tale of terror that will explore the history of the cursed burial ground that has the power to raise the dead. Jeff Buhler, who wrote the 2019 Pet Sematary, is set to pen the script, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced the 2019 film, is producing. Di Bonaventura has actually teased a possible prequel in the past, saying:
"I think if there's anything here, there's a prequel. I think if you look at the book, we didn't cover all that stuff that happens before the Creed family moves in. So, I think there's a movie there, and I think I'd be particularly interested in doing that, because, again, it's the source material and you are going toward something that also has a lot of crazy, creepy feelings about it."
I know a lot of people were indifferent about the 2019 Pet Sematary, with some folks acting downright incensed that anyone would dare change King's ending. But I was a fan of that adaptation, and Pet Sematary is my all-time favorite King book, so I'm interested to see another movie set in that world.
In addition to Paranormal Activity and Pet Sematary, Variety adds that another movie headed right for Paramount+ is The In Between, which "centers on a teenage girl who survives a car accident that took the life of her boyfriend. The twist comes after she starts to believe he's attempting to reconnect with her from the after world." That film will star Joey King, Kyle Allen, John Ortiz, and Kim Dickens.