‘The Blair Witch Project’: What We Know About the Next Film

Like it or not, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ is getting the reboot treatment.

Announced in April 2024, Lionsgate and Blumhouse will resurrect the found footage icon with what they describe as a “new vision” that will “reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation”. 

Is this a reboot?

It sure sounds that way, based on the quotes from Lionsgate and Jason Blum. 

Given that it’s been 25-years since the original film’s release, it probably makes sense to restart at the beginning, rather than attempting to follow up the events of the first film and ‘Blair Witch’, the 2016 direct sequel. 

But is this even a good idea?

We live in a time where no IP is ever truly dead. ‘Blair Witch Project’ was always going to come back eventually. Someday it will be gone again, only to inevitably return years later.

However, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which Lionsgate and Blumhouse manage to recapture the magic of the original film, which popularized the found footage subgenre and became a box office smash hit.

The most recent attempt to relaunch the franchise–2016’s ‘Blair Witch’ directed by Adam Wingard–was a critical and box office failure. 

In the bigger picture, it’s been years since a found footage-style horror film lit the box office on fire. ‘Paranormal Activity’ was huge for a while, but the franchise eventually fizzled out. There’s reason to be skeptical about the appeal of the found footage concept to audiences in the 2020s. 

Will the next ‘Blair Witch Project’ follow the original characters?

At the time of writing, there’s no word on who will star in the film or if any past characters will return.

The original stars, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard, recently made headlines, detailing their mistreatment by Artisan Entertainment and Lionsgate (which acquired Artisan), which has refused to share the financial success with the cast.

On April 20, the actors wrote an open letter to Lionsgate seeking residuals and creative involvement with upcoming ‘Blair Witch’ projects. It’s unclear if the request will be honored.

When will the next ‘Blair Witch’ be released?

There is no release date set for the film, but considering the lo-fi nature of the franchise, it could arrive sooner than you think.