'The Blair Witch Project' reboot finalizes director as it brings back original cast in key roles
Lionsgate has tapped Dylan Clark to direct the revival of 'The Blair Witch Project,' as per The Hollywood Reporter. The script for the next installment of the horror franchise will be written by Chris Thomas Devlin, with Clark rewriting. Clark is known for his work on short films like 'Transfigure,' 'Portrait of God,' and 'Catcher,' among others. The upcoming title will feature the film's original cast, but not in the way fans would hope. Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams will executive produce the title alongside directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and producer Gregg Hale. Other executive producers include Steven Schneider, Michael Clear, and Judson Scott for Atomic Monster. The reboot will be produced by James Wan, Jason Blum, Roy Lee, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath.
Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced that they were developing a new installment of the horror franchise at CinemaCon in April 2024. Lionsgate film boss Adam Fogelson introduced the reboot by calling it "a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation." Following the announcement, Leonard slammed Lionsgate for profiting from the film's success while excluding the original cast. In an Instagram post, he wrote, "25 years of disrespect from the folks who’ve pocketed the lion’s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless."
The found-footage horror also spawned two sequels: 'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2' in 2000 and 'Blair Witch' in 2016, with an entirely new cast and crew. However, both films were received poorly by critics and audiences alike. The film's production designer, Ben Rock, echoed a similar sentiment when he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter around the same time in 2024. "Neither one of the sequels connected with audiences the way they wanted it to connect. And so it might at least be worth talking to some of the original creators," he said. The decision to now include the original cast and crew signals a possible shift back to its roots.
'The Blair Witch Project' focuses on three film students, Heather, Mike, and Josh, who head into the woods to make a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch, but end up becoming targets of supernatural forces themselves. It became an instant sleeper hit when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1999. Artisan Entertainment purchased the film and released it theatrically in June, grossing $249 million (approximately $492 million today) at the box office globally. It became one of the most profitable films of all time and also led to a surge in the found-footage technique, spawning future horror films like 'Paranormal Activity' (2007), 'REC' (2007), and 'Cloverfield' (2008)
