Even if the film had only gone on to find modest returns at the box office, few films have as great a success story as 'Paranormal Activity.' Oren Peli, a first-time filmmaker, made the film for less than most people spend on their cars. It played Screamfest and Slamdance back in 2007, which is how an assistant to an agent at the CAA talent agency first saw it. Having been blown away by the flick, said assistant then convinced her boss to watch it.

He loved it, too, and began seeking distribution for the film. But even though the interest seemed to be there, no studio would actually pick the film up; Sundance also rejected it. Then, after copies of it began circulating throughout the industry, 'Paranormal Activity' quite fortuitously landed at the steps of DreamWorks. Steven Spielberg eventually saw it and bought it, and the rest is box office history.

Of course, when a movie that initially cost $15,000 to make goes on to earn well over $15 million at the box office, the studio is going to try to replicate that magic. Paramount even created a brand-new division to seek out films with that potential, and now it looks like Paramount Insurge may have found its next contender for the 'Paranormal Activity' crown. It's called 'The Devil Inside' and it stars the lovely Fernada Andrade (pictured above).



Written and directed by one William Brent Bell, 'The Devil Inside' is another horror movie with a documentary approach, though don't let that dissuade you. From the Hollywood Reporter:
"The story centers on a woman who has been led to believe her mother brutally murdered three people because she was clinically insane. After being told the murders occurred during an exorcism, she sets out to discover the truth. While documenting her experience with a film crew in Italy, she becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms."
Hopefully that means we'll be treated to some more interesting settings than dull, night-vision-lit suburban California homes, but it might be a while before we find out just what 'The Devil Inside' has in store for us. All THR tells us is that Paramount Insurge has picked up the film, so considering the studio already has 'Paranormal Activity 3' slated for this coming October, it's highly unlikely that they'll compete against their own guaranteed moneymaker at the box office. Perhaps they'll go the 'Last Exorcism' route and release late summer, but only time will tell if that proves to be the plan.