Few horror franchises took the world by storm the way that Paranormal Activity did.  Transcending horror itself and going full mainstream, this Blumhouse produced movies were known for netting huge returns on very minimal budgets.

Now a staple of the found footage subgenre, the third installment, Paranormal Activity 3 took things back to the 1980s, and may have even inspired the V/H/S film series.  So in honor of its 10th anniversary, we thought it would be fitting and fun to look at 10 fun facts about Paranormal Activity 3!

1. The release date was announced a mere 3 weeks after Paranormal Activity 2 was released in theaters.

2. Despite the in universe camera being a 1980s camcorder, the decision was made to shoot in HD rather than project actual VHS quality in a movie theater.  For shots in which the camera is visible, a small HD camera was hidden inside a larger camcorder exterior.

3. Kristi’s loose tooth scene was completely real and not originally planned.  Actress Jessica Tyler Brown showed up on set with a loose tooth and they decided to incorporate it into the movie.

4. The house they shot in (located in North Ridge, CA) didn’t need much work as the house itself hadn’t been renovated since the 1980s and already had the right look.

5. The oscillating camera technique was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby.

6. Many fans were upset that much of the trailer footage wasn’t featured in the movie.  This was because the company who put together the trailer was given a lot of footage that wound up being cut.

7. The symbols seen outside the grandmother’s house are synonymous with the Keys of Solomon, a grimoire dating back to the middle ages.

8. Upon release, it set a record for biggest midnight opening for a horror film with $8 million just from midnight showings.

9. Wound up being the highest grossing movie in the entire franchise with $207 million, beating out the original’s $193 million worldwide gross.

10. Paranormal Activity 3 was simultaneously nominated for Best Wide Release Film and Worst Film at the 2012 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.  However it lost to Insidious (Best Wide Release) and Human Centipede 2 (Worst Film).

Which of these did you know already?  Which ones surprised you?  Let us know in the comments!

For more reviews, rankings, news, and other fun horror/Halloween content, follow Halloween Year-Round on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

You can also shop Halloween Year-Round merchandise on Redbubble and support us on Patreon!