With Paranormal Activity due to make $100 million in the US this week (and expect another hunk of change to be spent by worldwide audiences), details of director Oren Peli’s follow-up are beginning to emerge. It’s not clear whether Peli will helm Paranormal Activity 2, but his next film will be Area 51.
The film is another fake documentary, this time dealing with aliens rather than peeved-off spirits. Over at Latino Review, they managed to get a look at the 40-page plot treatment that will act as a basis for the cast’s dialogue improvisations. However, while Paranormal Activity was mostly believable (although who in their right minds would leave the door open every night?), Area 51’s outline already has contrivances. The story involves a young geek named Chris who seems obsessed with extraterrestrial activities. Convincing his two best friends to gon on a road trip to Las Vegas, as well as obligatory girl (who believes her father was abducted), Chris hooks up with an ex-employee of the military zone known as Area 51, and is told of government-alien relations and the provision of human test-subjects. Needless to say Chris and co decide to break into the grounds and uncover the truth.
It sounds like a mix between PA and the X-Files. And just as unpallateable. No alien-obsessed geek has friends. Nor would he be allowed to put a telescope on some girl’s house to record the night sky. And Area 51, which actully exists, isn’t exactly an easy place to approach, especially when you have three people who haven’t exactly boned up on military camoflague tactics. Now, most horror films get by without ever having to appear realistic, but the effectiveness of this new subgenre called “reality horror” entirely depends on whether you believe it’s real or not. And if Peli isn’t careful with his characterisation and plotting, he may well create a disaster.
The film’s budget is five million dollars (a big leap from PA’s $15,000), so expect some special effects, and even some CGI if we’re lucky. But let’s hope that Peli’s film will be as creepy as Paranormal Activity was.
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