Paranormal Activity to bring jump scares to Broadway in new live stage production
The Paranormal Activity franchise is heading to Broadway, with a new stage production set to bring the horror series’ signature slow-burn tension and jump scares to the August Wilson Theatre.
Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway will begin previews on 14 August 2026, ahead of an official opening night on 15 September 2026. The production will play a strictly limited 20-week engagement, with tickets now on sale.
Written by Levi Holloway, whose credits include Grey House, and directed by Felix Barrett, best known as the creative force behind Sleep No More, the production features an original story set within the world of the hit film franchise.
The play follows James and Lou, a couple who move from Chicago to London in an attempt to escape their past, only to discover that “places aren’t haunted, people are.” Casting for the Broadway run will be announced at a later date.
The Broadway season follows sold-out engagements in London’s West End, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, as well as a pre-Broadway engagement at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre from 11 July to 30 July 2026.
First released in 2009, the original Paranormal Activity film became a word-of-mouth phenomenon, grossing nearly $200 million worldwide and helping redefine found-footage horror for a new generation. Written and directed by Oren Peli, the film launched a franchise that expanded across six further instalments, including Paranormal Activity 2, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, The Marked Ones, The Ghost Dimension and Next of Kin.
The films became known for their unsettling use of ordinary domestic spaces, turning bedrooms, hallways and home security footage into sources of creeping dread. The stage adaptation aims to translate that intimacy into a live theatre experience, using illusion, sound, lighting and projection to immerse audiences in the supernatural world of the franchise.
Barrett said he was eager to see how New York audiences respond to the production after its successful runs elsewhere.
“New York is my home away from home,” Barrett said. “I fell in love with the city when making Sleep No More fifteen years ago, and always marveled at the way audiences engaged with the show. Having seen the incredible responses to Paranormal as it has toured the U.S., I’m beyond excited that it will be coming to Broadway and cannot wait to see how New Yorkers react!”
Holloway described the production as “unlike anything else on the American stage right now,” calling it “a work of horror, heart and absolute mischief.”
The creative team includes scenic and costume designer Fly Davis, illusion designer Chris Fisher, lighting designer Anna Watson, sound designer Gareth Fry, and video and projections designer Luke Halls. Fisher won a Special Tony Award in 2025 for his work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse and an original producer of the Paranormal Activity films, is also part of the Broadway producing team. Melting Pot leads the production, by arrangement with Paramount Pictures and Solana Films.
Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway begins performances at the August Wilson Theatre on 14 August 2026, with opening night set for 15 September 2026.
