The upcoming reboot of the 1999 horror classic The Blair Witch Project will now include key figures from the original film as executive producers, following a public outcry over their exclusion. Lionsgate and Blumhouse, the production company behind hits like Get Out and The Purge, announced the new project in 2024.
A Groundbreaking Indie Hit
The original Blair Witch Project was made on a shoestring budget of just $35,000 but went on to gross an astonishing $248 million worldwide, cementing its status as one of the most profitable films in history. Its innovative found-footage style and grassroots marketing campaign revolutionized the horror genre.
Frustration Over Past Sequels
Those involved with the original film expressed their annoyance at being left out of the 2000 sequel Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and the 2016 reboot Blair Witch, both of which failed to replicate the critical acclaim or box-office success of the first movie. Actor Joshua Leonard, who starred in the original, took to Instagram to voice his discontent, calling it “25 years of disrespect from the folks who’ve pocketed the lion’s share of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless.”
Production designer Ben Rock also noted that the original team had been “overlooked” and suggested that involving them in the new project would be a wise move, given the disappointing performance of the sequels.
A New Collaboration
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Leonard and co-star Michael C. Williams will serve as executive producers on the reboot, alongside original directors Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, as well as producer Gregg Hale. The new film will be directed by Dylan Clark, known for his horror shorts, with Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi attached as producers.
Heather Donahue's Perspective
Heather Donahue, the third lead of the original film, previously wrote for the Guardian about her experience with the 2016 sequel. She described learning of the project: “I did what any sensible woman would do and drank very nice bourbon in a very nice bathtub while bawling my eyes out. Nothing I do will ever surpass what I did at 24. My name and face are forever going to be someone else’s intellectual property.”
However, she acknowledged that the new team reached out to show appreciation for her work. “They made sure my last name wasn’t used anywhere... For all the talk of Hollywood being populated with jerks and sharks, these guys were actually being considerate and were genuinely concerned that this would not be any more disruptive to my life than was inevitable.”
Looking Ahead
The reboot promises to “reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” With the original creative minds now on board, fans are hopeful that the new film will capture the raw, terrifying essence that made the first movie a cultural phenomenon.
