Blumhouse's Blair Witch Project was announced, aiming to be a "new take" on the franchise. As of writing, no concrete details have been revealed, save for the lack of involvement of Myrick, Sanchez, and everyone else who helped craft the 1999 original found footage horror movie. It's also unclear when the forthcoming horror reboot is going to be released.
Speaking with Film Stories, Myrick and Sanchez expressed disappointment in not being involved with Blumhouse's Blair Witch Project movie. They explained how they have ideas on how the series could continue, with both calling it "bittersweet" to see the franchise they crafted evolve without them. They also explained how Lionsgate has constantly been making follow-ups that were "moderately successful," but they think their involvement could help to elevate the franchise they created. Check out what Myrick and Sanchez had to say below:
Myrick: It’s always a little bittersweet. I mean, Ed and I have always had subsequent ideas that expand on the universe and the world that was created for Blair. We’ve always thought that there’s a lot to mine in that whole universe.
Sanchez: Like Dan said, it is bittersweet. We still love the IP and we’ve been thinking about it for more than 25 years now. And again, we don’t expect to write and direct these movies. We understand how Hollywood works and they’re always looking for the shiny new object, the new filmmaker. And there’s a lot of super talented people out there that can make a great Blair Witch movie. To be included again would be nice. Even if they don’t listen to us. Just to pick our brains – and again, like Dan was saying, we have a little bit of a fan base that’s dedicated to the original movie and it would be good press for them to bring us back in. But, we’ll see what happens.
Myrick: Studios are not your friends. They’re a business, and so we learned a trial by fire in that regard. After that, it’s just the way the business operates. I mean, Lionsgate picked up the rights. They’ve made a couple of attempts at follow-up films that have been moderately successful, but we still hold on to the naive notion that there’s other Blair movies to explore that we feel would be valuable. Certainly to the audience, to the fans. Unfortunately, Lionsgate just hasn’t embraced that approach.
What Myrick & Sanchez's Statements Say About The Blair Witch Project
The New Movie Won't Follow Their Vision For The Franchise
Following the success of the original, two other Blair Witch movies were released, neither involving Myrick nor Sanchez. The first of these was 2000's Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, which, despite making $47.7 million against a $15 million budget, was critically panned, currently sitting at a 14% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. A new sequel in 2016, titled Blair Witch, ignored the events of the previous movie, but still only managed a 38% from critics. However, it was still a financial success, making $45.2 million against a $5 million budget, indicating the series still has the potential to continue.
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Myrick and Sanchez's statements highlight how, despite having ideas on where to take the franchise, they haven't been involved in the continual evolution of the movie they created. Their hopes to one day be consulted on a new Blair Witch Project could indicate that, in order to break the curse of negative critical reception for its sequels, their input would be invaluable. However, with the pair still not getting ed by Blumhouse for their new movie, it doesn't sound like they'll ever be involved.
Our Take On Myrick & Sanchez's Lack Of Involvement In The Blair Witch Project Reboot
The Creators' Input Could Save The Franchise
Given their dedication to creating The Blair Witch Project, both the original movie and its memorable marketing material, the creators' lack of involvement in the reboot is off-putting. Since the last two movies weren't nearly as successful as the original, it seems like it would make sense for the duo to be invited into the fold to share ideas on where the series could go. However, with Blumhouse seemingly moving forward without them, it sounds like their input won't be employed in the forthcoming reimagining.
The Blair Witch Project is considered a classic in the found footage horror genre, inspiring other classic horror movies like Paranormal Activity.
Source: Film Stories
The Blair Witch Project
- Release Date
- July 30, 1999
- Runtime
- 81 minutes
- Director
- Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick
Cast
Joshua Leonard
Michael C. Williams
WHERE TO WATCH
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 horror film that follows three film students who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland. As they document their search for the Blair Witch legend, strange and unsettling events unfold. Presented as found footage, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and it pioneered the found footage genre in mainstream cinema.
- Writers
- Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
- Sequel(s)
- Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
- Franchise(s)
- Blair Witch
- Studio(s)
- Summit Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Summit Entertainment
- Budget
- $60 thousand
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