'Paranormal Activity' stage adaptation in early development
MANILA, Philippines — The popular horror franchise "Paranormal Activity" is heading to London's West End.
Theater producer Simon Friend, best known for stage adaptations of "Life of Pi," "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Father," has obtained the license for the horror series, hoping to make it his company Simon Friend Entertainment's next stage project.
The project is already in early development, with writer Levi Holloway tapped to pen the script.
The "Paranormal Activity" franchise began in 2009, and it follows a family haunted by a demon, again popularizing found-footage style of filmmaking for horror.
Since the first film — which grossed $194 million (P11 billion) on a $230,000 (P13 million) — six other entries followed, leading to a total franchise gross over $890 million (P50.4 billion) though the most recent movie "Next of Kin" only streamed online.
Friend's "Life of Pi" won five Olivier Awards, including Best New Play and three Tonys (all for design), and he also produced the film adaptation of "The Father" starring Anthony Hopkins, which made him the oldest actor to win an Oscar.
Holloway's thriller play "Grey House" starring Tatiana Maslany, Paul Sparks, Laurie Metcalf, Millicent Simmonds and Sophia Anne Caruso prematurely ended its Broadway run last July due to low ticket sales.
