Peli began as a computer software programmer, and was one of the developers behind
Photon Paint, a bitmap graphics program for the
Amiga. He is also credited for developing the networking code for the home console versions of
Mortal Kombat 3, during his work at
Sculptured Software. His first film
Paranormal Activity was inspired by Peli moving into his first house alone and without family nearby. Peli heard creaks and knocks in the night, which laid the groundwork for a film about a family running around with cameras trying to catch what was going on in the house. After the success of
Paranormal Activity, Peli worked with
James Wan and
Leigh Whannell to develop
Insidious. Peli also produced and wrote the 2012 horror film
Chernobyl Diaries, based on the
Chernobyl disaster and on his story
The Diary of Lawson Oxford. The film followed "a group of friends who, while vacationing in Europe, find themselves stranded in the abandoned city of
Prypiat, Ukraine only to discover that they are not alone."
Television In 2012,
The River premiered on
ABC, a paranormal/action/horror television series about a group of people on a mission to find a missing TV explorer in the
Amazon. Peli co-created the show with
Michael R. Perry, who co-wrote
Paranormal Activity 2.
Films Peli is writer and director of
Area 51, a story about three friends who want to discover the secrets of the fabled
Area 51. Peli is also the producer of all films in the
Paranormal Activity &
Insidious franchises and
The Lords of Salem. == Filmography ==