The seventh installment of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ film series, ‘Next of Kin,’ premiered directly on streaming platforms four years ago, a move that often signals the decline of a franchise. Many wondered if this would mark the end for the once-thriving horror saga, which initially captivated audiences with its low-budget yet wildly successful debut in 2009.
The answer, it turns out, is both yes and no.
Now, a fresh ‘Paranormal Activity’ experience is terrifying audiences, not on screen, but on stage.
Similar to blockbuster stage adaptations like ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ and ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow,’ this new ‘Paranormal Activity’ play offers an entirely original story designed to expand the franchise’s universe. However, it diverges significantly from those predecessors by not featuring characters or revisiting plot points from the beloved films. Don’t expect to see familiar faces like the sisters Katie and Kristi, or even the notorious demon Tobi.
Even more surprisingly, this theatrical production, currently playing at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater until November 2, completely abandons the ‘found footage’ style that defined the film series. This innovative storytelling method gained massive popularity with films such as ‘The Blair Witch Project’ in 1999, and later appeared in ‘Cloverfield,’ various ‘V/H/S’ entries, and even M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Visit’ (2015).
While video is a widely used theatrical device, as seen in recent hit Broadway shows like ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray,’ the creative team behind ‘Paranormal Activity’ opted for a different approach. Although a television screen makes a few appearances, it’s not central to their visual strategy.
Director Felix Barrett, known for ‘Sleep No More,’ explained after the Chicago preview, “We quickly decided against screens and a literal interpretation of found footage. While cinematic theater is a popular trend, we felt it was an overused concept.”
Instead of replicating the films, Barrett and playwright Levi Holloway, who thrilled Broadway audiences with his supernatural play ‘Grey House’ in 2023, aimed to capture the essence of ‘Paranormal Activity’ through sustained tension and apprehension.
To build this unsettling atmosphere, they intentionally incorporated theatrical elements rarely seen elsewhere: prolonged silences and extended scenes shrouded in near-darkness, designed to make the audience lean forward in eager suspense. During rehearsals, actors even practiced blindfolded, allowing them to understand how “other senses compensate and everything magnifies,” as Barrett described.
Fortunately, both Paramount Pictures, the intellectual property holder, and Oren Peli, the franchise creator, granted the team creative freedom. Holloway noted that any mandate was “tonal,” emphasizing the franchise’s core principle: “It starts mundane, lulls the audience into a sense of security, and then pulls that rug out from under them.”
The play centers on James (Patrick Heusinger) and Lou (Cher Álvarez), a young couple who move from Chicago to London for James’s new job. All seems well in their spacious new home until unsettling, mysterious forces begin to play tricks on their minds. Simple annoyances, like a vanishing TV remote, suddenly take on a sinister meaning as channels change on their own.
To recreate the films’ signature dread, the creative duo aimed for what they termed “ultranaturalism.”
This begins with Fly Davis’s stunningly detailed, large-scale two-level set, presented to the audience from a dollhouse-like vantage point. Holloway recounted their early discussions: “What if the audience could see into every room? What if the primary action unfolds in a very domestic kitchen, while your eyes are drawn to the bedroom, wondering what might be happening there, if anything?”
To truly inhabit her character’s space, Álvarez meticulously explored every detail of the set, even counting the stairs, explaining, “I do that in my everyday life because I don’t want to trip, I don’t want to fall. I loved that kitchen and wanted to familiarize myself with it, envisioning where Lou would intuitively place things.” The production is a collaborative effort with four major regional theaters to manage costs: Center Theater Group’s Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles (November 13-December 7), Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington (January 28-February 7), and American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco (February 19-March 15). Additionally, a commercial run is slated for London’s West End, commencing December 5.
Naturally, in a horror production, sustained tension must occasionally erupt into full-blown scares. This is precisely where illusion designer Chris Fisher, renowned for his work on ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ and ‘The Hunger Games: On Stage’ in London, played a crucial role.
Fisher, laughing during a video call, confirmed their primary objective from the outset: “We wanted to genuinely scare the audience.”
Fisher began developing the special effects even before the set was constructed. Barrett explained, “To evoke a true haunting, those pivotal moments of fright need to feel incredibly real. So, we dove straight into designing the illusions. It was a sheer delight witnessing —” (The director’s words are cut short here to avoid revealing any spoilers about the show).
The production’s initial significant illusion marks a dramatic shift, much like a rollercoaster cresting a hill before a thrilling drop. Álvarez confessed, reflecting on the first preview, “That was the moment I was most nervous about; you’re juggling so many elements simultaneously.” She added, “Hearing the audience’s reaction last night, I realized, ‘They believed it! It succeeded!'”
A FEW YEARS AGO, producer Simon Friend (‘Life of Pi’) sent Barrett an email with a straightforward query: ‘What about “Paranormal Activity”?’
Barrett recalled the film’s original trailer, “It was a masterclass in restraint, showing audiences in a movie theater, reacting in night-vision to the film itself.” He remembered the eerie footage of viewers cowering in terror or clinging to one another in the darkness. “It was incredibly effective back then,” he noted.
The thought struck Barrett: “Imagine creating that same effect in a live theater?” His decision was immediate: “Yes, I’m in.” Holloway joined the project in early 2023.
Before the play premiered at the Leeds Playhouse in Britain last year, Barrett and Holloway engaged in extensive brainstorming. Their shared inspirations included classic horror films like ‘Don’t Look Now’ and ‘Jacob’s Ladder,’ as well as the occult-focused stories of Victorian author Arthur Machen. Sharp-eyed 1980s horror fans will appreciate the character of James’s mother, Carolanne (played by Shannon Cochran), whose name subtly references Carol Anne from Tobe Hooper’s iconic film ‘Poltergeist’—a clever hint at the play’s unfolding narrative.
Initially, an immersive element was explored, with Holloway and Barrett developing a concept involving mind-reading with actual audience members. Barrett, who is friends with British mentalist and magician Derren Brown, described it as “a different type of theatrical danger.” The idea was to invite a couple onto the stage, into a ‘spirit cabinet,’ only for them to vanish before the main play began.
Ultimately, they chose a more conventional theatrical structure. However, the meticulously designed set allows Barrett immense control over the audience’s focus, using Anna Watson’s lighting and Gareth Fry’s sound to guide their gaze and manipulate character movement. He explained, “The inherent empty space, because not all rooms can be occupied simultaneously, forces you to imbue the house with a sense of absence and the anticipation of what might unfold.”
This commitment to ‘ultranaturalism’ extends to the play’s pacing, mirroring the deliberate, often slow build of tension found in the ‘Paranormal Activity’ films, where many scenes feature minimal or no action. Barrett finds this ‘negative space’ thrilling: “There are pregnant pauses where time seems to stretch, and that’s where the real threat lies. It’s truly between the lines.”
Holloway succinctly added, “It’s the water, not the shark.”
The fusion of horror and theater is ancient, predating modern forms. Consider the chilling narratives of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ with its bloody visions and witches, or the ghastly spectacles of Grand Guignol. T.R. Sullivan’s stage adaptation of ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ debuted on Broadway in 1887, just a year after Stevenson’s novella, while Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ remains a quintessential tale of a serial killer set to music.
Productions like ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ (a sequel to the books) and ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ (a prequel to the Netflix series) captivate audiences by bringing iconic monsters like Dementors and Demogorgons to the stage. Concurrently, immersive horror experiences are growing increasingly elaborate, with companies like New York’s Psycho Clan, famous for ‘This Is Real’ which challenges participants to escape a kidnapper, and Las Vegas offering escape rooms themed around ‘Saw’ and ‘Blair Witch’ films.
However, true artistic success in horror demands more than mere jump scares. We resonate with stories like ‘Carrie’ not just for its violent retribution, but for its poignant portrayal of a bullied outsider. This deeper understanding of horror’s appeal is something the creators of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ play fully grasp.
Holloway explained, “People arrive with expectations, perhaps commercial ones, and it’s been exciting to both honor that and have some fun.” He illustrated their approach: “We inflate a balloon to its maximum, let it breathe, and then —” He snapped his fingers. But, he emphasized, it was equally vital to craft “something with genuine heartache, something human. When those two elements merge, you create true meaning, making the work worthwhile.”