Things are about to get spooky on Broadway, and the man behind the franchise will be in the room. Jason Blum, the Blumhouse founder and a producer on the new “Paranormal Activity” play, is set to host a special performance on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the August Wilson Theatre. The show opens on stage the night before after a week-plus of previews that began earlier this month.
The play marks an unusual crossover for a movie franchise known for scaring audiences from a couch. Written by Levi Holloway and directed by Felix Barrett, the production is inspired by the found-footage film series and is billed as reimagining “the modern ghost story with an intimacy that only live theatre can provide,” according to its press notes.
From Found Footage to the Stage
“Paranormal Activity” premiered at the Leeds Playhouse in 2024 before transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End, where it received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination this year for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. The New York production stars Travis A. Knight as James and Cher Álvarez as Lou, a couple who move from Chicago to London to escape their past but quickly learn that “places aren’t haunted, people are.” Shannon Cochran and Eva Kaminsky also star in the show, which is set for a limited 20-week run.
The stage debut comes as the franchise expands on the big screen too. Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Paramount Pictures are producing an eighth installment of creator Oren Peli’s lucrative series, one that is set to hit theaters early next summer.
“Paranormal Activity” has generated more than $900 million at the global box office, making it one of horror’s most profitable franchises.
Why It Matters
Bringing “Paranormal Activity” to Broadway is a bet that horror can work live, and it reflects a bigger push to turn proven movie IP into stage events. The franchise’s massive built-in audience gives the play a ready-made fanbase, while Blum’s involvement lends it a jolt of star power. If the Broadway gamble pays off, expect more studios to dust off their scariest properties for the stage. With previews underway and opening night around the corner, horror fans are about to find out whether the scares translate.
