Okay, now here's a story we didn't see coming. Paramount has been left in limbo with regards to the director's chair for its planned sequel to Paranormal Activity. Overlooking the fact that the idea of Paranormal Activity 2 is not a good one, the studio hired Saw VI helmer Kevin Greutert, who was infamously yanked back to direct Saw VII by Lionsgate instead, as per the terms of his contract.

We thus expected Paramount to get a hack director in to bang out a sequel to hit the October planned release date. But the name that it appears to have arrived at is a major, major surprise.

For it's being reported that on the Paramount shortlist of directors is Brian De Palma. The same Brian De Palma that gave us Carrie, Carlito's Way, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Scarface - and every one of these is a great movie. His recent track record hasn't been as strong, granted, and the less said about Mission To Mars the better, but even so, it'd be a major surprise if he picked up the megaphone.

Also believed to be on Paramount's shortlist are Brad Anderson (the director of Transsiberian and The Machinist), and Greg McLean, who directed Rogue. MTV also reports that, at one point, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman was being lined up.

An announcement is expected very soon on this, given that the release date for the film is marked as October 22nd. We'd have to say that were De Palma to sign on the dotted line, our interest in the project - for better or worse - might just have been ignited.

Here's the original report on the director shortlist at the L.A. Times.