Some Notable Names on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2’s Director’s List

It’s nice to see that Paramount isn’t jacking around with getting the fastest, cheapest, most uninteresting follow-up to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY out there.  Paramount could have given PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 to any number of fresh out of music video/commercial land directors who can make it on the cheap.  Instead, they are going with some notable names with a serious auteur at the top of that list.

According to the LA Times, Paramount has SCARFACE and THE UNTOUCHABLES director Brian De Palma on their list of potential directors.  When you think about it, though, De Palma is a wise choice on so many levels.  While his 2007 REDACTED wasn’t exactly a barn burner when it came to critical or financial success, it definitely proved the director has something to say in that area of film making.  The transition to something like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (assuming it follows the same “found footage” style of film making) might not be all that out of left field when looking at De Palma.

Other directors on Paramount’s list are SESSION 9 and THE MACHINIST director Brad Anderson and WOLF CREEK director Greg McLean, both of whom could bring an interesting style to the project.

I like this list of potential directors.  Even if none of them end up directing PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, it shows Paramount is looking to hand the next installment in what is likely to be an ongoing franchise to someone who won’t just tow the studio line.  They are looking to give it to a director who has a visual style, who has something to say.  The same could not be said for other studios when dealing with other, potential, horror franchises.  Platinum Dunes might want to take a note.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 is set for release on October 22nd.