Paranormal Activity writer on why the found footage format was ditched for West End adaptation

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Almost twenty years after the first Paranormal Activity film debuted at the Screamfest film festival, the popular horror series is getting a fresh start with a new stage adaptation in London’s West End.

Levi Holloway wrote the play, which first debuted at Leeds Playhouse in 2023. It then toured the United States and is now playing at the Ambassadors Theatre until next March.

This new adaptation differs significantly from the original movies. Holloway and director Felix Barrett realized that the found-footage style, so central to the films, simply didn’t work well when adapted for the stage.

Holloway explains that the key to fixing the show was to focus on its core appeal: the sense that viewers are witnessing something secret or forbidden.

Collaborating with Barrett and the entire creative team, Holloway developed a concept for the play where the true ghosts weren’t supernatural, but the people creating the story itself.

The play wasn’t based solely on the original movie. Holloway and Barrett shared scary stories and books with each other – works by authors like Arthur Machen, M.R. James, and Charles Dickens – that genuinely frightened them. They also watched classic, unsettling films such as Don’t Look Now, When a Stranger Calls, and Rosemary’s Baby to help establish the play’s atmosphere.

“Horror is personal,” Holloway says. “The only question we can really ask is: what scares us?”

As a fan, I really appreciated how the team didn’t seem worried about ticking boxes or meeting specific expectations. They just focused on telling a great story! It definitely feels like the original, but they weren’t afraid to make changes. They included little nods to the past for those of us who remember, but it’s still totally accessible if you’re new to the series – you won’t be lost at all.

Like all horror stories, this one aims to frighten you, but it also focuses on building suspense and exploring characters’ feelings. The story, based on the original, follows a husband and wife, James and Lou, as they relocate from Chicago to London.

These central ideas are what the show is really about, even for people who have already seen the movie.

The movie Paranormal Activity was known for its trailers that frightened moviegoers so much they reacted physically in theaters. Holloway suggests that live theatre evokes a similar, visceral response in audiences.

He explains that watching a scary play with others creates a shared experience. You naturally glance at the person next to you, checking to see if they’re also frightened, and that connection – realizing you’re both scared – brings you closer together.

You know, as a movie fan, I’ve seen some amazing things in theaters, but it really gets to me when I see total strangers connecting with each other during a film. It’s just… pretty incredible, honestly. It shows you the power of a good story to bring people together.

Ultimately, Holloway doesn’t want audiences to leave simply feeling scared.

He hopes the audience will connect with the work on a personal level, imagining themselves in the same situations. He wants them to consider how they would behave and to leave thinking about the questions raised, even in their everyday routines, like double-checking things before bed.

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Authors

Michael Sidhu

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2025-12-16 14:04