As much as 1999’s The Blair Witch Project felt like a standalone—a low-budget, found-footage sensation that purported to explore the “true” story of its mysteriously missing main characters—the blockbuster hit spawned a franchise that’s still going today. That’s been a point of contention for the creators of the original film, who felt Lionsgate hadn’t fairly compensated them for their contributions to its success.
In 2024, the original cast—Heather Donohue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard—shared a statement on Facebook asking the studio for “retroactive and future residual payments for acting services … equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA” and “meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc.”
Alongside this public plea, the actors posted a statement of support signed by Blair Witch directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, plus producers Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello, praising “the significant contributions of the original cast.”
Fast forward to now, and we have more details on the newest Blair Witch film, which was also announced in 2024 and is being co-produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster (i.e., genre powerhouses Jason Blum and James Wan).
According to a Lionsgate press release, the “new imagining” of The Blair Witch Project now has a director (Dylan Clark, whose upcoming Portrait of God, based on his short film, is being produced by the horror dream team of Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele). Clark is also doing a rewrite of Chris Devlin’s original screenplay.
That is all intriguing. But of most interest are the newly added executive producers: Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, along with Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale. Their participation will help bring “the full mythology and legacy of the franchise to a new generation of storytelling,” according to the studio.
Heather Donohue’s absence isn’t commented on, but she has since changed her name and has seemingly moved on from Hollywood.
So far there’s no release date on The Blair Witch Project, much less plot details, but the 2016 reboot from Adam Wingard already used the title Blair Witch. Are you excited to take another trip into the haunted Maryland woods?
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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