Guess what just got beamed up out of picture purgatory? Filmed years ago, long-awaited by fans of Oren (Paranormal Activity) Peli's work, and almost as mysterious as the location its named after, the found footage thriller Area 51 will finally see the light of the silver screen, as Blumhouse has confirmed that Peli's sophomore effort behind the camera will play the weekend of May 15th at participating Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, with a VOD and digital release scheduled for that same day, as well. And teasing the alien-induced scares to come is the just-released first trailer for Area 51.

Blumhouse confirmed the Area 51 news via Twitter, with ComingSoon.net reinforcing the announcement by revealing that 16 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations will screen Area 51 the weekend of May 15th. Not only is this an Alamo Drafthouse exclusive in terms of theatrical showtimes, but the participating Drafthouse locations will only screen one showing of Area 51 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively, so be sure to secure your tickets ahead of time if you plan on seeing this one in theaters.

If you can't make it to a Drafthouse Cinema, don't despair—Area 51 will also be available to watch from the comfort of your couch via VOD and digital platforms on May 15th.

"Witness a new vision of terror from director Oren Peli. Three young conspiracy theorists attempt to uncover the mysteries of Area 51, the government’s top secret location rumored to have hosted encounters with alien beings. What they find at this hidden facility exposes horrifying, unimaginable secrets. Now you can experience their harrowing adventure in this footage pieced together from documentation of these chilling events."

Directed by Oren Peli from a screenplay he wrote with Christopher Denham, and produced by Jason Blum and Steven Schneider, Area 51 stars Reid Warner, Jamel King, Ben Rovner, Roy Abramsohn, Darrin Bragg, and Jelena Nik. The much-anticipated release comes from Paramount Insurge. To get a tease of what to expect from Abramsohn's character, check out our Q&A with the actor:

Trailer courtesy of JoBlo via Apple:

Source: JoBlo via Apple
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.