Sinister Trailer - The Next Paranormal Activity? [VIDEO]

The first trailer has been released for Sinister by the makers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious.

The film stars Ethan Hawke as a true crime author who moves into a new house with his wife and children while working on his new book.

As he explores the house, he discovers a cache of old films in the attic. When he watches them he sees what appear to be real murders taking place and opens the door for an evil that resides within the images.

Sinister comes from the producer of Paranormal Activity and Insidious, Jonathan Blum, who seems to be making a name for himself when it comes to original horror.

Sinister seems to be taking the concept of found footage, made famous with the Blair Witch Project and the Ring series, to another level, while creating a new monster, called Bagul, who feasts on the souls of children.

The trailer reveals the presence of Vincent D'Onofrio in the film's cast. D'Onofrio, best known for his terrifying performance in Full Metal Jacket, looks to be playing a saner character than he normally chooses.

Sinister will be directed by Scott Derrickson, who helmed the unfortunate remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still and the accomplished The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Early reviews of Sinister have generally been positive, with many claiming the film to be terrifying. Hawke is a newcomer to the horror genre, but has been hailed for his typically committed performance.

As the success of the Paranormal Activity series showed, audiences still have an appetite for simple scares, with a back-to-basics approach, first explored by the Blair Witch Project, proving a huge hit att he box office.

Insidious also made use of different filmiong styles, grounding its horror in the real world before moving into the supernatural. It appears that Sinister looks set to do the same thing.

Sinister will be released in October.