The promotional campaign for Paranormal Activity has been quite successful, starting with underground midnight screenings to round-the-clock showings in 40 cities. Writer-director Oren Peli has taken his success and parlayed a start date and the financing for his follow-up, Area 51.

Peli begins production next week on Area 51.  He will use his successful technique of “found footage” narrative structure of his last film, telling the story of three teens whose curiosity leads them to the notorious Area 51part of Nellis Air Force Base in the Nevada desert.

Reportedly, Paranormal Activity cost only $11,000 to produce and Area 51 is well beyond that — $5 million.

The folks who worked on Paranormal are working on Peli’s next project as well. 

Knowing that Paranormal Activity was all staged for horrific entertainment, like The Blair Witch Project, I have returned to enjoying a full night’s sleep.