Monday, September 12, 2022
Ten days had passed since Paranormal Activity hit theaters.
The second weekend had ended, and the result was even better than the first.
On Friday the 9th it grossed $1.80 million, on Saturday $2.40 million, and on Sunday $1.60 million, adding up to a total of $5.8 million for that weekend alone.
To that, weekday earnings were added: on Monday the 5th, Labor Day, it had surprised everyone with $1.10 million, and from Tuesday to Thursday it collected another $2.15 million.
Total in ten days: $9.05 million.
Domestic total since release:
$3.15M (weekend 1) + $9.05M = $12.2 million.
Owen's 20% post-theatrical share amounted, for the moment, to $1,220,000.
Once that money reached his account, he could officially call himself a millionaire.
Meanwhile, his public presence had skyrocketed. His personal Instagram, which had around 120,000 followers before the release, now reached half a million, gaining more than 300,000 in just ten days.
On Twitter, where he had barely 40,000 followers, he now had 200,000, boosted by mentions from critics, actors, and directors celebrating his story as an indie filmmaker.
But the most spectacular growth was on YouTube. His channel, Second Take Films, had surpassed 540,000 subscribers, gaining more than 300,000 since the premiere.
Views were exploding:
-Paperman passed 4 million views, rapidly approaching five.
-The Black Hole hit 2 million.
-And the original trailer for Paranormal Activity (2022) was nearing 10 million views.
Meanwhile, the most prestigious Hollywood outlets were already calling it "the horror phenomenon of the year."
When the story behind the project came to light, that a 20-year-old had written, produced, financed, and starred in a film for just $20,000, the media machine went into overdrive.
Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, IndieWire, and Rolling Stone all published pieces highlighting not only the financial success, but Owen's talent and vision in daring to invest his own money in what most saw as a hopeless gamble.
Among the clippings that Owen's mother, Elizabeth, had framed with pride were the following:
📰 Variety
"From $20,000 to $12 Million: The Unlikely Rise of Owen Ashford and A24's New Gem"
The studio behind Hereditary and Lady Bird once again proves its skill at spotting talent.
Paranormal Activity (2022), written by and starring Owen Ashford, has become the new independent horror sensation, grossing more than $12 million in just ten days.
Filmed in a single location with a restrained narrative, the movie relies on the chemistry between Ashford and Sophie Thatcher, one of the most natural performances the genre has seen in years.
A24 plans to keep it in theaters for at least eight weeks and expand internationally starting in October.
With only $20,000 invested, the result is a return on investment that even major studios can't replicate. The film's total spending, including marketing, reached $520,000, yet it has already grossed more than 20 times its total cost, and this is just the beginning, as forecasts for the coming week are even stronger.
Sources close to the studio reveal that young Ashford secured an unprecedented deal with A24, one that grants him a post-theatrical profit share typically reserved for figures like Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio, something considered unheard of for someone his age.
...
📰 Deadline
"Owen Ashford: The 20-Year-Old Who Just Redefined Low-Budget Horror"
Hollywood has a new unlikely success story.
Owen Ashford, the young actor and screenwriter who bet his savings to finance Paranormal Activity, achieved what many thought impossible: a box office hit with no existing franchise, no massive marketing campaign, and no A-list names in the cast.
His performance has been described as "intimate, vulnerable, and real," and his narrative approach, focused on emotional deterioration rather than cheap scares, has won over both critics and audiences.
The film thus becomes A24's most profitable production of 2022, positioning Ashford as one of the most promising young figures in contemporary cinema.
…
🎤 Rolling Stone
"The New Author of Fear: Owen Ashford and His Unexpected Reality Check"
Hollywood has always loved success stories, but few are as improbable as this one.
A 20-year-old with an idea becomes a millionaire.
In just ten days, Paranormal Activity (2022) grossed over $12 million, turning its creator into a millionaire and A24 into the most talked-about studio of the season.
Paranormal Activity (2022) isn't just a financial success, it's an artistic statement.
Independent cinema has just found its new voice.
…
That was the response from the traditional media.
On social media, especially on Twitter, there was a massive buzz surrounding the story of a young filmmaker achieving success with just twenty thousand dollars.
Several trending hashtags dominated the platform:
#ParanormalActivityA24
#OwenAshford
#From20Kto20MillionSoon
#IndieDream
#SophieThatcher
Users, filmmakers, YouTubers, critics, and even well-known actors mentioned the story, calling it the indie inspiration of the year.
@FilmNerd92:
Just got out of Paranormal Activity (2022). No cheap jumpscares, no CGI, just pure tension. Can't believe it cost 20k. That's smart directing. 👏 #A24 #OwenAshford #MattRogers #SophieThatcher
@jonasmoviebuff:
This guy Owen Ashford made a movie with 20 thousand dollars and it's already made 12 million. Hollywood should be a little scared. #ParanormalActivityA24
@ScreamQueen97:
Sophie Thatcher is incredible. She's got that mix of vulnerability and strength that makes you believe every second. Give her more horror roles pls 😭 #SophieThatcher #A24
@moviestatsdaily:
12.2M in 10 days on a 20K budget. That's more than 500x its cost. Paranormal Activity (2022) is the indie miracle of the year. What investment gives that kind of return? #BoxOffice
@kristapley:
Owen Ashford didn't just write and star in his own movie. He changed the conversation about what a young filmmaker can achieve without studio backing. #IndieFilm
@FilmUpdates:
A24 confirms expansion to 2,000 theaters for Paranormal Activity (2022) after grossing 12.2M. Excellent reviews and social media phenomenon. Saw it coming 🔥
@moviechronicles:
The guy who made Paranormal Activity (2022) put in 20K of his own money and is now a millionaire. That should be the plot of his next movie 😂 #OwenAshford
@popculturezone:
Paranormal Activity is officially the most profitable film of the year. It cost less than the catering on Doctor Strange 2. 😳
…
Even well-known celebrities heard about the year's indie hit and weighed in:
@FlorencePugh:
20 years old. $20K budget. A24. $12 million box office in just ten days. Absolutely insane! Congrats to Owen and Sophie! You crushed it!
@SydneySweeney:
So proud of Sophie!! You're incredible. The film is terrifying and beautiful. #A24Family 💀❤️
@TheRock:
Congrats to this young guy Owen Ashford. Wrote, produced, and starred in his own movie. Hustle pays off. Respect. 💪🎬
@HunterSchafer:
When we were shooting The Hunger Games, Owen told me his film was going to be distributed by A24, and he said it so casually. A few months later, it's literally the most profitable indie film in theaters. What the hell! So deserved 💙
@TomBlyth:
Knew this guy was trouble from day one on set. In the best possible way. So proud of you, brother. #ParanormalActivity is insane. 🍿🔥
@RachelZegler:
Seeing friends succeed hits different. Go watch Paranormal Activity, the buzz is real. Congrats, Owen!!
...
"The Rock, dude! The Rock mentioned you!" said Matt, reading The Rock's tweet for the umpteenth time.
Owen's mother, sitting next to Matt, placed a hand over her chest and let out an excited laugh.
"Look at that! The Rock! Dwayne Johnson himself talking about you!" Elizabeth said, clapping her hands enthusiastically.
She had always been a total fan of everything her son did, but this was on another level. Having someone of that stature publicly acknowledge him was something else entirely.
For a mother, seeing the world finally celebrate her son's talent was the best reward imaginable. She had always believed in him, even when no one else did.
Owen, sitting on the living room couch, watched the scene with a patient smile. His laptop rested on his legs, connected to the TV. On the screen, his Second Take Films channel showed a new video already uploaded and ready to go.
He glanced at his mom and at Matt, who had discovered a new shared hobby: reading every tweet that mentioned Paranormal Activity. And they wouldn't stop.
"Are you seriously going to keep reading tweets all afternoon?" Owen asked with a playful sigh, shaking his head.
"Obviously!" Matt replied without looking up from his phone. "The Rock tweeted you, man! You don't just move on from that."
"It's time to upload the third short film from The Second Take Film," Owen said.
The TV screen showed YouTube's upload page: title, description, thumbnail, everything ready. All that was left was to press: [Publish].
The video was One-Minute Time Machine, a short film produced by Owen, directed by Matt, and starring Sarah, his younger sister, alongside Gaten, an actor who, in his past life, had been known for his role as Dustin in Stranger Things. But in this reality, that series didn't exist, so Gaten had faced a tougher road.
Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with emotion as she settled onto the couch. That day wasn't just another achievement for Owen, it was also the official debut of her sixteen-year-old daughter in the world of short films.
Though, in truth, Sarah had already had her first moment in the spotlight a few days earlier, when she appeared in the One-Minute Time Machine trailer, released on September 4.
That thirty-second preview served as her informal introduction to the world, the first glimpse of her acting.
The trailer had ridden the massive media wave generated by Paranormal Activity's release and early success. In just nine days, it had reached 3.5 million views, an astonishing figure considering Paperman, the full short film, had reached almost 5 million in over a month.
The trailer alone had already surpassed the view count of The Black Hole, proving the channel's exponential growth and the public's growing interest in everything Owen released.
Social media exploded with comments and theories about the new short.
Many users highlighted the speed at which Owen produced projects, almost without pause between one and the next. In just six or seven months, Second Take Films had released three shorts, all with cinematic quality and a distinct style.
The trailer also boosted the profiles of its stars.
Sarah's social media, which had barely surpassed a thousand followers before, now had over 80,000, with dozens of fan accounts and clips of the trailer spreading across TikTok and Instagram. Her Instagram had jumped from 850 to over 80,000 followers, and her Twitter from 200 to 18,000.
Being the sister of the most viral young filmmaker in Hollywood immediately sparked curiosity, and people were already talking about the debut of the "Ashford family."
Gaten, for his part, experienced slower but steady growth. His Instagram had risen from 10,000 to 70,000, and his Twitter from 2,000 to 14,000 followers.
"Sarah, Gaten, come down, it's time!" shouted Owen toward the stairs.
Seconds later, Sarah and Gaten came down.
"Finally!" said Sarah, excited. Her appearance and outfit were impeccable as always, ready for a photo.
Gaten followed behind, visibly nervous. Sarah had been showing him her movie collection in her room. Having a girl like her invite him into her room had made him nervous, even more so knowing she was the younger sister of Hollywood's man of the moment: Owen.
Since the One-Minute Time Machine shoot, Gaten had grown close to Owen, Matt, Eric, and Tyler. With them, same generation, same sense of humor, he felt something he hadn't in other projects: a group of genuine friends. With Sarah, the connection was different; she was younger, and their bond balanced somewhere between professionalism and a careful friendship.
They sat on the couch in front of the TV. Sarah bit her lip as she looked at the screen, excitement and nerves mixed in her gaze.
"Do you think they'll accept it for Short of the Week?" she asked.
Getting a short accepted there was a mark of quality.
Matt let out a confident, almost casual sigh.
"It'll be easy," he said. "It's a Second Take Film short. All our stuff ends up there. This one's not going to be the exception."
He leaned toward the TV, resting his elbows on his knees.
"With all the Paranormal Activity hype, this short is going to blow up. I'm telling you, it's going to be the most-watched video on the channel. Get ready for some ridiculous numbers."
Matt was no longer the same guy who used to get thrilled just because one of his shorts got accepted on a website. Now, after all the experience he'd gained directing films with Owen, his confidence was on another level. He still got excited, of course, but things like being featured on Short of the Week no longer made him nervous.
Sarah nodded. The trailer had passed 3 million views, and with the school year starting, she had experienced something entirely new: teachers congratulating her in the hallways, classmates asking for selfies, fan accounts popping up everywhere.
And it had only been the trailer of a short film, not even a feature. But it had gone viral.
"So I'll hit a hundred thousand followers on Instagram easily…" Sarah murmured with a grin.
Owen glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Deep down, he thought he should keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't get lost in all that digital noise.
"Don't get obsessed with the numbers, okay?" he said. "What matters is your acting, and that you keep improving."
Sarah nodded, her eyes still fixed on the TV. Owen reached out and placed his finger on the mouse.
"Well," he said with a faint smile, "it's time."
He clicked.
The screen changed.
Published 0 seconds ago.
The view counter started to move.
The third short film from Second Take Films had just been released to the world.
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