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You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.

Kim Hollis: We know that there will inevitably be a Paranormal Activity 5. What can we reasonably expect from the next film in the franchise, given that there is a measurable drop in interest? Also, based on the information you have today, do you think there will be a Paranormal Activity 6 in 2014?

Matthew Huntley: I would expect Paranormal Activity 5 to go back to the routes of the franchise and start over with brand new characters not related to the current ones. After all, the franchise has begun exhausting itself with the characters/storyline it already has, so a re-invigoration is in order. I also wouldn't be surprised if the new characters are played by more household-name actors and actresses, which would be a first for the series and a way to try something different. In any event, the keywords here are "new" and "different," because "the same" is clearly not working as well any more.

Right now, yes, I would say there will be a Paranormal 6, but my answer is pending the success of the franchise reboot I mention above.

Bruce Hall: The average production budget for these films is hovering around $6 or 7 million, and with people now grudgingly expecting a new installment every other year or so, marketing can be kept to a minimum. As long as they can keep realizing the profits they are, there's no reason to believe they won't continue making them. Part 5 is already coming out next year, so I agree that an infusion of new blood is critical to maintain interest.

I might also suggest that it's never too early to go with the colon:subtitle for Part 5. That way it won't seem as gimmicky when you release Paranormal Activity 6: The Final Chapter. But it won't really be the Final Chapter. That's the twist. People will think that it's the last one, but it won't be, so they'll be totally shocked, and then you'll get a spike in attendance for the REAL Final Chapter, which will be Part 7.

But not really. That's when you switch to Roman numerals, you set one in Japan for no reason, and then you do one with robots, or dinosaurs. Yes, there will be a Part 6. I can see Paranormal Activity being a profitable nuisance for the better part of another decade.

Felix Quinonez Jr.: I really haven't been following this series at all. I only saw the first one. I know they went the prequel route for at least one of these movies and I don't even know how this entry fits in with the previous ones, continuity wise. As far as box office I expect its drop to level off a bit and perform more like a standard horror movie. (Opens in the $18 million-$23 million range and ends with $46-$55 million.)

I definitely think there will be a sixth entry. These are being made for so cheap (relatively speaking) that they don't even have to be popular to be profitable. And there will always be people who show up just because they're there. I think we'll keep seeing them until the next franchise comes along and kills interest in PA. (Like PA did to Saw)

Edwin Davies: I agree that a new cast or creative direction for the series will probably be key to maintaining interest in the series, but I don't think a change of that magnitude will take place with number 5 since the wheels are already in motion on that one. How well that one does relative to number 4 (I would guess that we'll see another drop to around the $20 million mark on opening weekend) will probably play a big part in determining how the sixth film turns out. If the drop is bigger than that, then they might try to right the ship by overhauling it, if not, they'll probably be happy churning out broadly the same story with the same tricks until the return on investment reaches an unacceptable low level. Considering how cheap the films are to make, that level will probably prove to be very low indeed.

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