Monday, September 19, 2022
On Sunday night, as the last box office reports reached the studios, a notification popped up on thousands of film fans' phones.
It was a new tweet from @BoxOfficeMojo, an account dedicated to box office reports and analysis:
@BoxOfficeMojo:
📽️ "Paranormal Activity" (A24) continues its unstoppable run in its 3rd weekend.
The horror film expanded to 2,000 theaters in the U.S. and added $6.5M (Fri $2.0M, Sat $2.7M, Sun $1.8M), bringing its domestic total to $22.1M.
Originally released in just 500 theaters, the word of mouth has been extraordinary. A24 confirms it will continue its theatrical run through Halloween.
International release: September 29 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by Asia, Latin America, and the rest of Europe in October.
This is how the weekend's Top 10 box office looked:
The Woman King – Sony – $19M weekend – $20.7M total – Opening.
Barbarian – 20th Century – $6.7M weekend – $20.9M total – 2nd weekend.
Paranormal Activity – A24 – $6.5M weekend – $22.1M total.
Bullet Train – Sony – $2.5M weekend – $96M total – 7th week.
#BoxOffice #A24 #ParanormalActivity #Top3.
…
The tweet got over 10,000 likes within hours, and comments began to flood the thread:
@CineDataNed:
"Insane. $20,000 budget and it already passed $22 MILLION. It's the new Blair Witch Project, except this time no one got scammed."
@AdhaarCh:
"To put it in perspective: The Woman King has 3,500 theaters and Barbarian has 2,300. Paranormal Activity does this with 2,000 and a $500k marketing push from A24."
@TiolioNOT:
"A pure phenomenon. No franchise, no star. Just real fear and creativity. This is horror cinema history."
Someone posted a screenshot comparing numbers:
Budgets: The Woman King $50M / Barbarian $4.5M / Paranormal Activity $0.02M.
The contrast went viral.
On Reddit, a user opened a thread that read:
r/movies
Posted by u/IndieScope_89 • 3h ago:
The most profitable film of the decade. $20,000 turned into $22 million. And it's only September.
Paranormal Activity, distributed by A24, cost less than a car and has already grossed over $22 million.
It was written by and stars the same guy: Owen Ashford.
This is insane.
I did some digging and most sources say this guy, who just a few months ago didn't even have a proper résumé, managed to secure a percentage of the box office, which means he's probably a technical millionaire right now, since he likely hasn't been paid yet.
And the movie still has several weeks to go.
Repeat, this is insane!
A story worthy of study in any film class.
💬 COMMENTS:
u/NumberCruncher27 · 1.4k upvotes
"To put it in perspective:
Budget: $20,000
Gross: $22,000,000
That's 1,100 times its budget. It's every producer's wet dream."
u/SkepTD9 · 785 upvotes
I watched The Woman King and it was great, but how is a $50M production supposed to compete with a movie that cost the same as a car?
Hollywood should learn something.
u/ConspiracyReel · 713 upvotes
I've seen plenty of "miracle filmmaker" stories, but 20k still feels impossible. Even The Blair Witch Project wasn't that cheap.
Maybe he's not counting post-production or distribution costs.
u/Willskde · 664 upvotes
Not trying to hate, but Barbarian has better direction and production value.
Owen's movie is more rudimentary. That said, the concept and script are perfect for the format.
u/AlexM_R · 591 upvotes
Totally agree. But I think that's where the magic is: Paranormal Activity isn't trying to be well-directed, it's trying to feel real.
No pretty shots, just authenticity.
u/NoelleGrant · 457 upvotes
Exactly. If it had cleaner direction, it would lose its charm. The clumsy, homemade style is part of the fear.
u/JaredColeman · 402 upvotes
Barbarian cost $4.5 million, so of course it has more technical resources: better lighting, sound, sets, special effects…
u/JDanielGraves · 388 upvotes
It may not have as many resources, but the acting in Paranormal Activity is definitely better. That natural, almost improvised tone combined with the static cameras creates a realism that very few films achieve.
u/LauraNieves · 290 upvotes
True, my mother thought it was a documentary. That kind of effect isn't easy to achieve. It feels genuine from start to finish.
u/WestChad2 · 276 upvotes
This reminds me of when I watched The Blair Witch Project in 1999.
Same energy, everyone arguing about whether it was real or not.
And releasing right before Halloween. Perfect timing.
…
The thread kept going, with new comments appearing every hour. But that wasn't the only thing happening.
While Paranormal Activity continued climbing the box office charts, Owen's new short film was blowing up online.
In just one week, One-Minute Time Machine had surpassed 6.3 million views, becoming the third consecutive short from Second Take Films to go viral.
Three out of three. And the most impressive part: Owen didn't act in this one, he was only the writer and producer.
The reviews were excellent. Across social media, audiences praised the pacing, the chemistry between the leads, and the clever ending.
Even Short of the Week published its review on Sunday, officially confirming the short would be featured on the homepage next week.
[YouTube]
📺 One-Minute Time Machine
👤 Second Take Films
📌 853,000 subscribers
👁️ 6,302,683 views | ⏳ Published 7 days ago
💬 33,947 comments
[Comment Section]
@MarcusHill:
I can't believe this channel keeps raising the quality with every short.
This guy, Owen Ashford, has a mind from another planet. Writer, producer, actor and every project is different.
@EmiliaGarnett:
Sarah Ashford is amazing. I didn't know she was his sister until I read the credits. She has a natural camera presence you can't teach, and she's gorgeous!
@llayla_93:
First time Owen doesn't act in one of his shorts. Well, there are only three, but still something I wanted to point out lol.
@ElliotBaker:
Gaten, was great. Didn't know him before, but he's charismatic. Hope we see him in more stuff.
@LeahCarte2s:
Just saw it on Short of the Week, had no idea it was already featured!
Congratulations! They called it "a romantic-comedy gem with a sci-fi soul."
Totally deserved.
@TomasJHunt:
The craziest part is that every new short does better than the previous one.
The Black Hole started it and got solid numbers for a first short, then Paperman was a hit… and this one already beat both in a week.
Second Take Films is becoming a mini-studio.
@Justine61:
I like that Owen doesn't act in everything he creates. It shows he gives space to others. Says a lot about him as a creator.
@Srobertjh:
Great and funny short, but isn't it weird that the lead actress is his sister? With so much talent in L.A., isn't that a bit… nepotistic?
@Ymikewolrd:
Yeah, and so what? The guy wrote it and paid for everything, he can hire whoever he wants. It's the real world, kid.
@MayaLopezms:
Totally. And Sarah is excellent. If it were untalented nepotism, I'd complain.
@fateK_87:
People on the internet yell "nepotism" every time a family member shows up. If you fund the project, you make the rules. End of story.
@trashESDll87:
nepo baby 💅 classic
@FilmLover94:
It would be nepotism if she sucked and he still cast her. She nailed it. Move on.
@Factorys22:
lol if my brother put me in a short that hit 6M views I'd call it family business, not nepotism 😂
…
Comments kept pouring in by the thousands. Opinions varied, but the consensus was clear: most viewers loved the short.
Sarah's debut was a success, and One-Minute Time Machine was solidifying itself as the third major triumph of Second Take Films.
And, on top of that, Short of the Week had accepted yet another one of Owen's short films barely a week after it was uploaded to YouTube. Three submissions, three selections. A record few ever managed.
Social media growth was just as impressive: in only seven days, the channel had gained over 300,000 new subscribers, racing at full speed toward one million.
Owen's Instagram hit 760,000 followers, a +250,000 jump in a week.
On Twitter, his personal account was nearing 300,000 followers, boosted by viral clips, articles, and reactions from film celebrities.
Another piece of news added to the chaos on Monday morning: a publication in The Hollywood Reporter announcing that A24 had officially confirmed Owen as the lead in The Spectacular Now.
@THR (The Hollywood Reporter) – 9:02 AM – Sept 19, 2022:
A24 finds its lead for "The Spectacular Now"
Rising star Owen Ashford, following the unprecedented success of Paranormal Activity, will star in Elijah Bynum's new romantic drama.
The project is based on an original screenplay written by Ashford himself, which A24 acquired earlier this year after discovering it on The Black List.
Filming will begin October 17 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Read the full article here ⬇️
🔗 hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a24-owen-ashford-the-spectacular-now-12352113
#A24 #TheSpectacularNow #OwenAshford
Within minutes, the tweet surpassed 20,000 likes. Accounts like DiscussingFilm, IndieWire, Collider, and Film Updates amplified the news.
💬 Tweet replies:
@CineScope24:
Has anyone looked at this guy's IMDb profile yet?
He literally built an entire career in the same year, he had nothing before 😳
And over 90% of it was created by him: feature film, shorts, producer, actor… is he even human?
@MovieNerdsClub:
Just checked his IMDb and it looks like a joke:
Paranormal Activity → lead / writer / producer / self-funded.
The Black Hole → short film, same roles.
Paperman → same.
One-Minute Time Machine → almost the same, only difference is he didn't act.
Coming soon:
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes → supporting actor (already filmed, releases 2023). Only movie where he was just hired as an actor.
The Spectacular Now → lead and writer (not yet filmed).
All of that in under 12 months 💀💀💀
How did he do it?
@JordanKline88:
While most actors spend years doing auditions and zero-budget shorts, this guy literally wrote his own material and went viral.
He played a completely different game. 🎬🔥
@EmmaFilms_:
Not only that, Paranormal Activity has already made over $22 million at the box office, and it's said he has a post-theatrical percentage above 10%. Meaning he became a millionaire before turning 21.
Someone write a book about him, please.
@RosaMartell:
Sometimes I think about how hard it is just to get an audition. I've done dozens, and only a tiny fraction ever went anywhere. And for what? A feature or short that barely makes a ripple.
And this guy creates everything from scratch, no bosses, no studio, and everything he does blows up. Inspiring and frustrating at the same time 😭
@Owenfanpage11:
Please A24, cast Sophie Thatcher as the female lead! She's his girlfriend and I want to see them with a happy ending, not losing their minds with a demon inside them like in Paranormal Activity 🙏
…
The thread kept growing uncontrollably. Thousands of retweets, screenshots, memes, and comparisons were being shared.
Jenna Ortega was sitting on one of the sofas in the living room of her Studio City apartment.
The place was spacious but simple: light-colored walls, a small bookshelf, a plant next to the window, and an improvised desk with scripts stacked on top.
In one hand she held her phone; in the other, a cup of coffee that was almost empty. After the last sip, Jenna set the cup on the coffee table and glanced at the clock: 9:31 a.m.
In less than an hour she had to leave for the A24 offices, just ten minutes away by car.
Her audition was at ten-thirty, for the female lead role in The Spectacular Now, an upcoming A24 film.
And it was already public knowledge who the male lead was: Owen Ashford.
The guy everyone in Hollywood was talking about.
The one who, in less than a year, had gone from shooting a project with twenty thousand dollars to starring in his own movie with the most respected indie studio in the industry.
And now, he was the one she would be doing her chemistry read with.
Jenna slid her finger across her phone screen once more, skimming through the headlines:
"The indie phenomenon of the year," "From YouTube to A24 lead in record time," "The impossible story of an actor who wrote his own destiny."
She sighed, locked her phone, and set it aside.
'How can someone move that fast?' Jenna thought in silence, leaning back on the couch.
She had started acting in 2012, at ten years old, doing small roles in CSI: NY and Iron Man 3.
She remembered that first big experience on a Hollywood set perfectly. She had three lines of dialogue.
Three.
And yet, when the movie was released, all her lines had been cut. Her credit was reduced to "Vice President's Daughter." Not even her real name appeared.
She didn't say it often, but it still hurt. She was ten, and when your first important role is almost erased completely, you start wondering if the mistake was you.
"Was I really that bad?" she had asked herself many times.
From then on came years of endless auditions, rejections, and waiting. Hundreds of "no." Some polite, others not so much. And almost always the same subtext:
"You don't fit the mold."
Because she was Latina, studios often looked at her as if her appearance limited the types of roles she could play.
Too dark for some parts, too neutral for others.
And yet, here she was, ten years later, her name already recognized, and she had achieved success both artistically and financially.
Her net worth was around three million dollars. Not a Hollywood fortune compared to other actors, but still insane, considering she never imagined having that much money.
And being so financially comfortable gave her freedom, freedom to choose projects, to say no, to work out of passion rather than necessity. She had never been someone with extravagant expenses. She lived without unnecessary luxuries.
She rented an apartment in Studio City for five thousand dollars a month, which, with what she earned, was more than manageable. Buying a house or apartment had never been in her short-term plans.
Why would she want so much space? She spent more time on sets than at home, and she preferred mobility over ownership.
Artistically, The Fallout had been her first major validation.
A teen drama about the trauma following a school shooting. It wasn't a box office success, it was never meant to be, but critics praised it unanimously. The film won at SXSW 2021 and became a streaming gem.
Then came Scream 5. That's where she became Tara Carpenter, the new generation of the revived Scream franchise.
The film, released in January 2022, grossed 138 million dollars worldwide on a budget of just 24 million.
A total success. She had already finished filming Scream 6, scheduled for release the following year. The set had been more demanding but also more fun, she already felt like part of the franchise.
She also filmed X, A24's horror film directed by Ti West. A small movie with a one-million-dollar budget, but critically acclaimed and financially successful for the studio and investors.
That film marked the beginning of her relationship with A24, the studio she admired most: bold, selective, and with a strong identity. A studio that gives you the vibe that they really want to make art by taking risks, not just chasing numbers.
And the last thing she had filmed: Wednesday, her first major series as the absolute lead, was already set to premiere in November.
The most important project of her life so far. The one she had put the most effort into, without question. She didn't know if audiences would love her, criticize her, or not care at all.
She had done the best she could, so she felt calm, though you always wonder how things will go, it's impossible to erase those thoughts so close to the release.
So it made no sense to compare herself to others. Success doesn't have just one shape. Some build it slowly, step by step, others reach it all at once, almost without warning.
And that doesn't mean one is lucky and the other isn't.
She had seen some clips of Paranormal Activity and fragments of the Second Take Films shorts, and she admitted it without hesitation: Owen acted well, not only that, he had written the scripts, produced them, financed them, and organized everything at twenty years old.
That wasn't luck, it was vision and determination. Very few people that young have the confidence to finance everything and take such big risks.
Jenna shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside, and stood up. She still had some time before leaving, so she decided to go over the scenes she would read at the audition one more time.
It was the final round, and she liked the character. Plus, the idea of working with A24 again, but this time more closely, motivated her.
She grabbed the printed pages, already a bit wrinkled from being handled so much, and sat down by the window.
The script was underlined in different colors: blue for emotions, green for pauses, and red for looks or gestures she wanted to emphasize. She read in a low voice, almost whispering, going over each line calmly. She already knew it by heart, but it never hurt to double-check.
At one point, her phone vibrated on the table. Her concentration broke and she turned her head. It was the assistant sent by her agent. She answered, and in less than a minute, the call ended.
The assistant was already downstairs and would be driving her to the audition.
Jenna grabbed her bag, her keys, and gave the apartment one last quick glance to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.
Her orange cat was sleeping on a chair, completely unaware of the world. Jenna leaned down and stroked him gently behind the ear. "Wish me luck, yeah?" she murmured.
The cat barely opened one eye, let out a short meow, and settled back down.
Jenna smiled softly. "That's enough for me," she whispered, as she turned off the lights, crossed the living room, and stepped out the door.
-------------------------------------------------
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