As much as people may want to believe filmmaking is all about the artistry, movies are a business investment, and if financiers don't see a big return, the odds they'll come back to the table drop considerably. Producers, likewise, aren't as likely to pursue projects that are hard to raise money for, not without a guarantee that they'll recoup the costs in a way that's worth it.
Unfortunately, the Sinister series doesn't come off as a good investment anymore. This is straight from the mouth of super-producer Jason Blum, who knows a thing or two about getting a franchise off the ground from his experience shepherding the Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and The Purge franchises toward more sequels than can be counted on two hands. Asked about the prospect of a third Sinister movie during a Facebook Live chat in 2016, Blum was brutally honest: it isn't happening.
"We didn't do well enough with Sinister 2," the producer said. "Not enough people went to see Sinister 2 to make Sinister 3, which is really sad. One of the things that I get asked a lot is, 'What are your professional regrets?' Obviously I have a lot of regrets professionally. Every movie we make, some of them are great, some of them are less great, of course. Sometimes the movies work because of the movies, sometimes it's the marketing; it's a complicated thing."
