The Blair Witch Project is getting reimagined for a new age, with Lionsgate announcing that Blumhouse would be reimagining the original film along with other Lionsgate horror titles.
The Blair Witch Project reimagining will be the first in a multi-picture pact between Blumhouse and Lionsgate that will see the horror studio reimagine “horror classics” from the Lionsgate library.
The move was announced at CinemaCon 202, by chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Adam Fogelson and founder and CEO of Blumhouse Jason Blum. Blum will produce the new The Blair Witch Project film alongside Roy Lee, who previously was a producer on the 2016 film Blair Witch.
“I’m very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for letting us play in their sandbox. I’m a huge admirer of The Blair Witch Project, which brought the idea of found footage horror to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon,” said Blum. “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.”
The Blair Witch Project has a long-lasting legacy
The original The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999 and very quickly became one of the most influential horror films to ever be made. Created on just a $750,000 budget, the film grossed more than $248 million worldwide and is often seen as the film to revive the found-footage genre, leading to countless other films made in its style.
Following the original’s release, a sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, was released in 2000. Following that, a 2016 film, Blair Witch, was released as a direct sequel to the original film. The 2016 film was a modest success, but received mostly mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.
