After cravenly exploiting the misery and loneliness of someone who needed therapy in private and not on 500 screens nationwide, Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost established themselves not as filmmakers but as crass, dishonest provocateurs. So is it a surprise that the “Catfish” directors would make a lateral move into a nakedly opportunistic film series that prides itself on being fast and cheap? Bloody Disgusting has learned that the two of them are jumping into production as co-directors on “Paranormal Activity 3,” which is already slated for a Halloween release this year.
The second “Paranormal Activity” wasn’t as successful as the first, but on a $3 million budget, the picture still grossed $177 million worldwide. That film was written by Christopher B. Landon, who will return to script the next film, though it’s unclear as to whether the film will be a sequel or a prequel. Though it would be pretty great if it were a standalone picture about a couple of assholes who found out someone lied about their identity and was actually a ghost.
Even if this weren’t the third part in a horror series for saps, even if this weren’t one of about eighty more found-footage horror films coming in the next couple of years, even if this weren’t made by a couple of schmucks who showed themselves to be skilled at self-promotion more than actual filmmaking, four words would still give us pause: Executive producer Akiva Goldsman. “Paranormal Activity 3” hits screens October 21st.
