After the departure of Saw VI director Kevin Greutert from Paranormal Activity 2, Paramount has been actively searching for a replacement director so that the film can make it’s October 22nd, 2010 release date. According to the LA Times, the list has been narrowed down to a few names.
The first one comes as a major surprise, none other than Brian De Palma. He is one of my absolute favorite directors (Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out…all masterpieces) and the man is in desperate need of a hit after a series of box-office duds (Femme Fatale, The Black Dahlia, Redacted). The problem here though? The man is an auteur and someone who probably won’t let himself be pushed around by a studio to just quickly make a film for a release date.
The other two candidates are Brad Anderson (director of the excellent The Machinist) and Greg McLean (who did the Australian exploitation film Wolf Creek). These are also above-average choices. In fact, I’d say that Paramount kind of lucked out with the previous director opting out. You’d figure that they would just be going for commercial or music video directors but they’re really aiming for quality here. But, if they really wanted a quality film, then maybe they should wait another year before making it.
Who should direct Paranormal Activity 2?