14 DAY TRIAL // Paramount has a certified, albeit surprising, winner on its hands with the low-budget, faux-documentary “Paranormal Activity.” Now on its fifth weekend, the horror expanded to more theaters and has managed to take the top spot at the box-office in the US in the process, the Los Angeles Times informs. As estimated, “Saw VI” came in second, with ticket sales well below the initial estimates of $20 million.
“Paranormal Activity” cost only $15,000 to make. Paramount acquired it for $300,000 and then invested about $10 million in promoting it, including a viral campaign that made of it an almost instant hit with certain target groups. Even without these numbers, the horror would still be a massive success for the movie studio, analysts believe, grossing so far over $62 million and expected to cross the $100-million threshold next week, when it reaches even more screens in the US.
“Saw VI,” however, failed to rise to expectations, even the most pessimist estimates. Although each installment in the Jigsaw series usually opened somewhere in the range of $20-30 million, the sixth film was expected to fare somewhat worse, precisely because of having to go neck and neck with “Activity.” The worst estimates had it with a $24 million opening weekend, which failed to happen: “Saw VI” came in second at the box-office, with just $14.8 million in ticket sales.
As it turns out, “Activity” did so surprisingly well, that Paramount is already talking a sequel to it, since it has acquired international rights for it. The movie studio knew it had stumbled upon a “miracle” and, because of this, it would try to capture lightning in a bottle by trying to replicate the success of this first film with a sequel, Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey said in a statement issued just hours ago. Whether a second film will “fly” still remains to be seen though, as chances are good it will turn into yet another “Blair Witch Project 2,” skeptics say.
“Evidently we have a situation where you put one foot in front of the other every day at the studio. We all work very hard, and every once in a while you find yourself bumping over a miracle. We have the rights on a worldwide basis to do ‘Paranormal 2.’ We’re looking to see if that makes some sense.” Grey said as to the possibility of making a second film of the kind.