An October Re-Match Has Been Set for ‘Paranormal Activity’, ‘Saw VII’
by Marc Patterson
It’s official (as if we couldn’t see this one coming). According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision Blog, Paramount has officially brought on Saw VI director Kevin Greutert to helm the sequel to Oren Peli’s phenomenon Paranormal Activity. Alongside Greutert will be the veteran TV screenwriter Michael R. Perry. What this means for horror fans is that October is already set up to be another battle of the box office between these two giants of horror. This past October Saw VI took a pummeling from the surprise sensation Paranormal Activity. But we know how sequels go and while the Saw franchise has a solid built in fanbase, Paranormal 2 teeters on a fate that could be worse than death. (Blair Witch 2 anybody?) The real question is can Oren Peli pull out another hit and will Saw VII see a reinvigoration with the addition of their famous murder-set-pieces in 3-D?
Unlike the torturous fate of the Blair Witch 2 the original team to Paranormal Activity is intact. Oren Peli, along with his co-conspirator Jason Blum will be serving as Producers on the project and Peli promises us (in reference to the Greutert/Perry) that “These guys get it, and the fans won’t be disappointed.” This certainly gives them an early leg up and some relatively warm fuzzies for fans. But David Hackl, the returning director attached to Saw VII isn’t exactly a rookie in the Saw franchise having directed part five, and worked in some capacity in nearly all of the Saw films. I might be able to use the Peli’s same words about Hackl. He gets it. And the biggest factor for Saw may be that aside from the beating it took at the box office, it garnered some rather positive criticism from reviewers and fans. Fans are counting on that momentum to carry into Part VII. (Does anyone get that Rocky II feeling?)
As to what the sequel for Paranormal will be called, and what story line it will focus on is still up for debate, or at least being held quiet behind tightly closed doors. We can only speculate and wait as the year progresses.
