Last night during CinemaCon, it was officially announced that Lionsgate/Blumhouse are moving forward with a new The Blair Witch Project movie. We first heard that a reboot might be in development back in 2022, but the rumor was never confirmed, and we assumed that the idea must have fallen by the wayside.
The original 1999 film ushered in a new era of found footage horror, and is still widely considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time. Unfortunately, a direct sequel (Book of Shadows) and Adam Wingard's tepid 2016 revival failed to recapture the visceral chills of the original, and the franchise has stalled since.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We forged a strong relationship on The Purge when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with his film The Gift. There is no one better at this genre than the team at Blumhouse,” said Lionsgate film chair Adam Fogelson. “We are thrilled to kick this partnership off with a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.”
Jason Blum gave credit to the original Blair Witch for helping to pave the way for his own found-footage hit Paranormal Activity, saying, “I don’t think there would have been a Paranormal Activity had there not first been a Blair Witch, so this feels like a truly special opportunity and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
This should definitely be worth keeping an eye on, but our excitement levels will probably hinge on the creative team the studio assembles to breathe new life into the Blair Witch and take us back to those foreboding woods around Burkittsville.
Creators Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez notably had very little input beyond their original film, so this would be the perfect opportunity to get them back on board.
What do you guys make of this news? What do you think a new Blair Witch movie should focus on? Drop us a comment down below.
Found video footage tells the tale of three film students (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams) who've traveled to a small town to collect documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer. Over the course of several days, the students interview townspeople and gather clues to support the tale's veracity. But the project takes a frightening turn when the students lose their way in the woods and begin hearing horrific noises.