Horror: Paramount lands distribution for ‘Area 51’, the new film by Oren Peli, creator/director of ‘Paranormal Activity’

Kewlin.

Variety:

Paramount Pictures has landed U.S. distribution rights to “Area 51,” the Oren Peli-directed follow-up to the sleeper hit “Paranormal Activity.”Deal puts the studio back in business with the creative and financing team behind “Paranormal Activity,” the $11,000 film that’s grossed more than $106 million since Par began rolling it out in September. Peli had a much larger budget to work with on this extraterrestrial tale than he did for his ghost story, as sources said he brought the film in at a shade under $5 million.

…The film employs the “found footage” narrative structure that Peli used in “Paranormal Activity” to tell the story of three teens whose curiosity leads them to the notorious Area 51 portion of Nellis Air Force Base in the Nevada desert….

…Studio and financiers confirmed the deal and said they were pleased to be teaming once again. The film will find its way into theaters some time in 2010. “Moviegoers everywhere demanded to see Oren Peli’s spectacular debut and we are excited to show them what he’s created next,” said Par’s Goodman.

Molner said the deal illustrated the fertile ground in creating moderately budgeted franchises that have become some of Hollywood’s biggest hits.

And ORIGINAL, don’t forget the ORIGINAL part!

“These films show that real franchises can be successfully launched from the independent side of the business — not something the marketplace necessarily believed five years ago,” he said. “As financiers, we’re very lucky to create value in ownership with major distributors like Paramount Pictures and the enviable talents of Jason, Oren and IM Global.”…

LatinoReview has SPOILERS! MASSIVE SPOILAGE PEOPLE!

Area 51 Script Review

Do you remember the first Saw film?  There was an excitement and fear that kept you on the edge of your seat and your fingers over your eyes.   Do you remember going to the second or third or fourth film and realizing that it was just a rehash of the same plot?  This is only the most recent series of films to follow the trend of taking ideas that worked in one film and beating them to death mercilessly in subsequent sequels.  Well, in many ways Paranormal Activity is to the first Saw film as Area 51 is to the first sequel.  Today, I got my hands on a recent draft of Oren Peli’s script and, from the first page until the end, I just kept thinking to myself, “Is this really just going to be Paranormal Activity with aliens?”

It was.

I’m not saying it’s a terrible thing.  I enjoyed Paranormal Activity and I’m not opposed to alien films in general.  It’s just that I fear that every year Halloween will roll around and we’ll have another low budget supernatural thriller, shot on a handycam, from the mind of Oren Peli.  Two years from now we’ll be seeing a fake documentary about a group of people looking for the Loch Ness Monster or, god forbid, vampires.

The “script” for Area 51 reads much like I imagine the “script” for Paranormal Activity did.  It’s basically a scene-by-scene breakdown with a list of various props, actors, and the general interactions between the actors and their surroundings.  There is no written dialogue, but within the action descriptions are general ideas that the actors will be using to improvise their lines with on set.  Unlike Paranormal Activity’s single location, Area 51 is far more expansive in its setting…..

If you like your films with plenty of SPOILAGE go read the whole thing!