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Back in April of last year, the stars of the original found footage classic The Blair Witch Project released a joint statement that spread like wildfire here in the horror community. Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard came together in the hopes of getting some recognition from Lionsgate, the current rights holders of the iconic property, alleging “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.”

You can read the full statement from the Blair Witch Project trio here, but the basis gist is that Donahue, Williams and Leonard were looking for residuals, and “meaningful consultation” on future Blair Witch Project expansions, as well as an annual 60k grant from Lionsgate to “an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.”

The statement, which was...

Here’s Where To Stream This 86% Rated Classic Horror Film That Made Over 4000 Times Its Budget! ( Photo Credit – YouTube / Rotten Tomatoes )

Horror is a genre that has the power to transport viewers into entirely different worlds. While some of the most admired horror movies, such as Alien, Jurassic Park, I Am Legend, World War Z, and the most recent one, Sinners, were made on a grand scale with big budgets, there are also low-budget gems that managed to terrify audiences just as effectively. One such film is the 1999 found-footage horror classic The Blair Witch Project.

The critically acclaimed movie is widely regarded as one of the scariest movies of all time. It proves you don’t need a big budget to leave the desired impact. Read on to find out what The Blair Witch Project is about, its astonishing box office-to-budget performance, and where to watch it online.

The Blair Witch Project...

One of the most underrated horror sequels of the last decade finds its way onto free streaming this July. Adam Wingard's Blair Witch, the 2016 follow-up to the 1999 found footage phenomenon The Blair Witch Project, is set to be in Tubi's extensive library starting July 1. The film is also presented in found footage format, as a pseudo-documentary showing the ill-fated journey of a doomed group of friends.

In Blair Witch, James Donahue invites his friends on a camping trip in the Black Hills Forest, where he's sure he will find some answers about his sister's disappearance. Heather Donahue was reported missing years ago after she set out to make a documentary about a local urban legend. Her brother found a YouTube video that has an image of what appears to be his sister. Or so he believes. He convinces his friends to join him, and among them there's a filmmaker who will document the events.

About a year ago we looked at The Blair Witch Project through the lens of a quarter century’s worth of passing time. While the popularity and success of that movie is undeniable, regardless of how you feel about it, the legacy is somewhat more complicated. It has 4 video games with varying degrees of quality, some cool toys courtesy of McFarlane, more lore than the average 21st century kids cartoon show, a hell of a mocumentary, and a couple sequels. While 2016’s Blair Witch does a good job of mixing in the found footage aspect while paying homage to its predecessor, Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows, which released the year following the first one, is mostly maligned both behind the scenes and with its final product. While it made a decent amount of money and IMDb claims that it has a cult following now, just how does the movie hold up 25 years later?...

For most people, horror is an acquired taste. The genre explores the darkest, most disturbing parts of ourselves and our psyches, making for stories that can range from grotesque and gory to just downright disturbing. For critics, that may not necessarily be what they look for in a movie, but for horror fans, it is the precise reason they adore the genre. As such, in the ongoing (and endlessly tiresome) culture war between critics and audiences, horror tends to be more divisive than not. Despite the site's questionable operations and easily-manipulated review system, Rotten Tomatoes continues to be the battleground in which this war is waged.

Each case is different: Some films have ardent fandoms behind them, others garner cult followings over time, and some premiere to critical fanfare but simply do not age with audiences. Whatever the case may be, these 12 horror films feature significant enough gaps in their...

The University of Pittsburgh Library System has added archival materials from The Blair Witch Project to its Horror Studies Collection.

The acquisition includes production materials and promotional items, like the infamous missing person flyers, along with reviews, articles, games, comics, and other tie-in media demonstrating the 1999 film’s impact.

The materials come from writers-directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick and producers Gregg Hale and Mike Monello.

“We’re thrilled to find a permanent home for our collection of records, memorabilia, and ephemera from a little horror film that lucked its way into cinema history,” Hale said.

“What’s particularly interesting is that nearly all the students we teach and show this collection to have lived with the internet their whole lives,” noted Horror Studies Collection Coordinator Ben Rubin. “And this is a look back into the era just before that, and at such an important part of how today’s...

The Blair Witch Project, a found-footage horror film written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, has become a firm cult classic since its release in 1999. Inspiring filmmakers for decades to come, it made for a lightning-in-a-bottle scenario that will likely never be truly replicated. Starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams, the movie follows three film students investigating the local legend of the Blair Witch. Unfortunately, for purists of the genre, viewing The Blair Witch Project in its proper form has been impossible for a long, long time.

The Blair Witch Project ending caps off the haunting found-footage movie on a suitable ambiguous and chilling note, but it leaves many questions about what exactly happened. 1999's The Blair Witch Project series was a low-budget independent horror film from co-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. The found-footage horror follows three student filmmakers who wander the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland, to investigate the legend of the Blair Witch. In the forests around where the village of Blair once stood, they encounter the Blair Witch — although the movie's Blair Witch monster is never shown in full before the movie ends.

After The Blair Witch Project ending, the trio is never seen again, but a year following their disappearance, the footage they shot is recovered. It's this "real" footage that the movie is made from, and this approach helped spawn further found-footage horrors like Paranormal Activity, Quarantine, and Cloverfield. However, despite the...

A beloved found-footage horror classic finds its way back into the public consciousness with an encouraging update for its legion of fans. The Blair Witch Project secures a new re-release after its producer claims fans have long been watching the wrong version of it.

Via his X (formerly Twitter page), The Blair Witch Project producer Michael Monello confirmed an updated and upscaled version of the movie that is now available via home video in Europe. According to Monello, The Blair Witch Project's new edition is the one he and the movie's creative team intended to release initially but couldn't due to the technological constraints they encountered when the original version debuted in 1999. When the film premiered on home video, distributors Artisan "made a huge mistake," by working from a 35mm telecine transfer rather than the DigiBeta master originally used, causing "serious motion errors." The footage also looked grainier and...

Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project

Few horror films have ever had as much of an impact on audiences, both genre and mainstream, as The Blair Witch Project, the story of three young filmmakers lost in the woods who may or may not fall prey to something supernatural. 25 years on from its first screening, and with a limited edition coming out on Monday (11 November), I caught up with directors Eduárdo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick to ask them why they think it remains firmly rooted in the public consciousness.

“It's a mystery to us!” says Eduardo. “The movie became something that we didn't expect it to become. And you're right: it is crazy that after 25 years, people like you are still interested in talking to us about it. We feel really lucky that we've been a part of it. You know, there's a lot of collaborators that made this movie possible.

Blumhouse and Lionsgate are teaming up to produce a new film in the Blair Witch Project franchise, and there are already exciting updates about the upcoming movie. Debuting in 1999, The Blair Witch Project turned Hollywood on its ear when the extremely low-budget indie horror film took the world by storm. The pioneering found footage movie was shot on handheld camcorders and follows a group of young adults as they traverse the Maryland woods in search of the eponymous legend. What made the movie so memorable was that it had audiences guessing about what was real and what was fiction.

Of course, it was all fiction, but The Blair Witch Project quickly became one of the most profitable movies of all time when it earned millions of dollars on a budget that was reportedly below one million. Though the gimmick of found footage wasn't originated by Blair Witch, it helped kick...

A groundbreaking film that reshaped an entire genre and sent ripples through cinemas around the globe, The Blair Witch Project is the iconic horror film that popularised the found footage format. This year it celebrates its 25th anniversary and to mark this milestone, it returns with a meticulously curated Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set from Second Sight Films, the go-to name for discerning horror collectors.

Available on 11 November 2024, this must-have set features a sleek new rigid slipcase adorned with striking artwork by Timothy Pittides. Inside, you’ll find a 184-page hardcover book packed with rare production materials, insightful new essays, and a special bonus book titled Heather’s Journal.

For those seeking a more straightforward release, a Standard Edition Blu-ray will also be available, with both versions boasting a wealth of exclusive content. This includes a stunning new restoration using Hi-8 videotape and 16mm film elements, personally overseen by directors Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick,...

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the 1999 hit The Blair Witch Project (watch it Here) and to mark the occasion, Lionsgate announced that they’re developing a reimagining of the film with Blumhouse Productions. Lionsgate and Blumhouse have made a multi-picture pact that will see Blumhouse producing new takes on horror classics from the Lionsgate library, and The Blair Witch Project is the first project on that slate. That announcement was made several months ago, and now, during a conversation with Film Stories, Blair Witch creators Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick let it be known that no one at Lionsgate or Blumhouse has consulted them about the reimagining.

Sanchez and Myrick had their own ideas for how to expand the world of The Blair Witch Project, but Joe Berlinger’s Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was made without their participation. They later spent years trying...

The Blair Witch Project creators Dan Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez have responded to their lack of involvement in the upcoming reboot currently in development. At CinemaCon in April 2024, 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 upcoming 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...

The Blair Witch Project is primarily known for changing the face of horror 25 years ago and also setting a new standard for the possibilities of independent filmmaking. The movie was a huge success, grossing $250 million worldwide on a very slim $750,000 budget, and went on to launch a media franchise of sequels, comic books, novels, and video games. On the flip side of that success have been stories about the actors in the film not being fairly compensated over the years, despite the success of the film, and the original creators essentially being shut out of future sequel plans. That has continued to be the case for filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who created the indie film sensation but were not consulted for the upcoming sequel coming from Lionsgate and Blumhouse Productions.

During a chat with Film Stories to promote the upcoming Second Sight Blu-ray boxset for The Blair Witch Project,...

“Studios are not your friends,” says Daniel Myrick, co-director of the original Blair Witch Project, on not being consulted about the upcoming sequel.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project – arguably one of the most pivotal horror films of the 1990s. Making almost $250m in 1999 on its initial cinema run, the found-footage chiller sparked a franchise that is still going a quarter of a century later.

For the first film’s directors, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, the anniversary brings with it mixed feelings. They’ve barely been involved in the series they helped create all those years ago – and it’s a trend that continues into the upcoming sequel, produced by rights holders Lionsgate in partnership with Blumhouse Productions. We heard earlier this year that, when the next Blair Witch was announced, the makers of the first film – such as production designer Ben Rock – were left blindsided by the revelation.

Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez tell us how they started a found footage frenzy with their pivotal 1999 horror, The Blair Witch Project.

In 1999, a tiny indie film changed the face of horror. Its viral marketing campaign was soon adopted by bigger Hollywood movies like Cloverfield (2008). Other filmmakers rushed to make their own documentary-style shockers – most notably writer-director Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity (2007), which helped turn Blumhouse Productions into the horror powerhouse it is today.

The Blair Witch Project was the work of first-time directors (and former University of Centaal Florida film students) Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who in the early 1990s came up with their initial concept: the movie would essentially be a faux documentary, cut together from the film and video material left behind by three investigators who vanished while investigating the legend of a witch. On an initial budget of at most $60,000, The Blair Witch Project...

Happy Halloween! Celebrate with us as The Blair Witch Project comes to Limited Edition Blu-Ray on 11th November – to celebrate we are giving away a Limited Edition Blu-Ray to 1 horrifyingly lucky winner!

It redefined a genre and sent shockwaves through cinemas worldwide and now, 25 years on from its original release, horror phenomenon The Blair Witch Project, the seminal film that put found footage firmly on the map, returns with a meticulously crafted Limited Edition Blu-ray Box set from horror aficionados Second Sight Films

The must-own box set arrives on 11 November 2024 and is presented in a stunning new rigid slipcase with new artwork by Timothy Pittides and comes complete with a 184-page hardback book with archive production materials, new essays and an additional book ‘Heather’s Journal’

There will also be a Standard Edition Blu-ray release and both versions are packed with exclusive extras, including a brand new restoration from the...

Eduardo Snchez and Daniel Myrick took the world by storm in 1999 with their sleeper hit The Blair Witch Project, the influence of which is still felt in horror today. Despite that success, however, it took another seven years for co-director Snchez to make another film; he only directed four other feature-length films, and only one of those was a found footage film similar to his debut hit. Exists, released in 2014, is another story about a supernatural being lurking in the dark woods, but this time its not a creature of Snchezs own making. Instead, he taps into a "true" North American legend thats fascinated people for hundreds of years: Bigfoot. It may not be the greatest found footage movie out there, but who doesnt want to see a sasquatch wreaking havoc on a bunch of campers?...

The best horror movies of all time are the films thateither by intent or pure accidenthelped to shape the time period's understanding of what the genre could offer to audiences. These groundbreaking films often achieved this by pushing the boundaries of what could be shown outright or even just implied. Many of them were poorly received on release as a result but endured as indelible nightmares that struck a very particular collective nerve. Even if their most shocking visuals no longer hold water with thrill seekers today, the core insights of their journeys into the darkest recesses of the human soul still have the ability to send chills down the spine.

Luckily, modern horror fans have to worry about censorship and brief theatrical windows less these days and can stream many of the scariest horror movies of all time from the comfort of their own homes on some of the biggest streaming services.

The Simpsons has long been touted as a sitcom capable of predicting the future, given that certain events seen in the series have eerily come to life years later in some form or fashion, but Bruce Willis? Sure, he had superhuman abilities in Unbreakable, but clairvoyance wasnt one of them. However, the megastar predicted one of the biggest movies to ever hit the horror genre six years before it debuted in theaters, which then set off a chain of events that would change the industry as we know it.

In an unearthed video posted on X by director Scott Derrickson, Willis is shown on the set of Pulp Fiction in 1993 talking into a camcorder about the camcorder itself, and how the device would be used in the future. He says, "Some day in the next five years, someones going to take one of these and make a feature film with it,...

The Folk Horror genre has become one of the most popular forms of horror in recent years, with the rise of cult and ancestral narratives pervasive throughout all horror films. Folk horror's best films are known for using elements of folklore, rituals, and ancient traditions to provide the backdrop for the thrilling and horrifying stories told that reveal the darker sides of our nature and humanity. It has become so popular as it mixes the realistic with the spiritually sinister and creates a crossover that has a feel all too real of 'this could happen to me'.

The most impactful of the folk genre throughout cinema history and into recent years have focused on cults, voodoo, paganism, and superstition. Films like the critically acclaimed Hereditary with surprise endings, which puts a legitimately terrifying, modern spin on the occult, or Midsommar, that brings violent cults and the psychological forces within to the fore.

Damien Leone’s “Terrifier 3” (Iconic/Cineverse) grossed about $27 million in the U.S./Canada in its first week. That will make it easily #1, helped by the second-week collapse of “Joker: Folie à Deux” (Warner Bros.), which will end up #4 with around $10 million.

The slasher/horror sequel will ultimately earn a massive profit. With a reported production and marketing cost of around $5 million and additional revenues, “Terrifier 3” investors could easily see profits far exceeding $50 million.

Apart from its cost, other elements leading up to the slasher film’s success are unusual. As with any sleeper hit, its successes will be examined by studios to see if they can be replicated.

If “Terrifier 3” does lead to major changes, it will follow the lead of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” (1978) and Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s “The Blair Witch Project” (1999). And not just in terms of its impact on the horror genre.

What does "Pulp Fiction" have to do with low-budget horror movies? Well, the film's $8 million budget might seem like a fairly significant amount of money, but it's not the kind of figure you'd expect for a film starring Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman. Of course, at the time those actors weren't the bonafide megastars they'd become, or, in Travolta's case, king of the 0% Rotten Tomatoes score. Still, $8 million is more the kind of budget you'd expect for a mid-range horror movie, so it's impressive Quentin Tarantino managed to make $212 million from his off-beat postmodern pastiche.

That's not the only connection between "Pulp Fiction" and horror, either. Aside from the film's often striking depictions of violence, there's a surprising link between one of its stars and an ultra low-budget horror movie that debuted the same decade as Tarantino's film.

Bruce Willis made "Pulp Fiction" profitable before shooting even began,...

On July 14, 1999, the face of the horror genre was forever changed when the found footage supernatural sensation The Blair Witch Project made its spine-tingling debut in theaters all across the world, terrifying audiences as it focused on a trio of film students who courageously ventured into the Maryland wilderness in search of the eponymous local legend. A surprise sleeper hit, the horror flick went on to gross nearly $250 million on a modest budget of between $200,000$750,000, thus becoming one of the most lucrative independent films of all time and emerging as a pop culture phenomenon.

Part of the reason The Blair Witch Project was such a successful knockout was because of the savvy marketing campaign directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Snchez implemented, who portrayed the events of the film as real and pretended that the three lead stars had actually gone missing while filming the "documentary." The movie's IMDb page even listed actors Heather Donahue,...

Spoopy Season is upon us, dear readers, and any cineaste worth their weight in bone matter is likely scouring the world's many streaming services looking for the best fright flicks available. Most casual horror fans may be content to idly re-watch well-trodden classics like "Halloween," while more enterprising gorehounds will be studiously studying the carefully curated films on Shudder. The jaded, more experienced fright fans, however, will require stronger coffee to get their fear fix, and those brave souls may dive face-first into the overstuffed trough of Night Flight or Eternal Family, looking for oddities that the average soul cannot stand. Are you going to watch a gentle film like "Hocus Pocus" this October, or are you the type to try out "Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell?"

We can say for sure that actor Kevin Bacon, a great actor with impeccable taste, is an aficionado of the genre and likes...

Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project successfully used the found-footage filming technique to create an incredible horror story. However, producer Mike Monello recently revealed that the version of the film fans are familiar with isn't the one that the filmmakers wanted to release.

In an extensive post on X, Monello explained that this was due to technological restrictions which existed at the time. "In 1999, theatrical films didn't originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video," he said. "So they did it like all films back then. They transferred the 35mm negative to video. Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is not the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect. The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn't look like a home video, and it didn't look like film."

Related The 30 Best Horror Movies of All Time,...

Horror fans brace yourselves, cult classic The Blair Witch Project is coming to Blu-ray in a way you have never seen before. Just in time for spooky season, the movie will return for home viewing in the 2-Disc Limited Edition set which sees the restoration of the film from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, Bloody Disgusting reports. The movie written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Snchez got all the acclaim for its premise and marketing technique.

The found footage horror classic The Blair Witch Project is returning to Blu-ray with a new release from UK company Second Sight, and it’s set to be a first-of-its-kind offering.

The 2-Disc Limited Edition set includes a new Second Sight Films restoration from the Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements, supervised and approved by the Producers and Directors, which presents The Blair Witch Project as it was meant to be seen for the very first time.

The Blair Witch Project production designer Ben Rock explains over on Twitter, “If you’re a fan of The Blair Witch Project, this edition is a first of its kind. The original sources have been re-digitized including a first-ever proper transfer of the 16mm. And there’s a new doc by Jed Shepherd interviewing all of us who made the film.”

“The version you’ve seen was transferred (hi-8 & 16mm) to BetaSP in 1997, edited in standard def,...

In the summer of 1999, a low-budget horror film called The Blair Witch Project introduced audiences to a new form of frightful filmmaking. The indie sensation, about students who vanish into the woods while documenting a local legend, traumatized many viewers with its compelling realism but some choose to relive the terror by following in the characters' footsteps. Intrepid fans even organize camping trips to the original sites for an immersive experience.

The Blair Witch Project spawned the found footage subgenre, a mockumentary style that uses handheld photography, improvised acting, and other techniques designed to simulate recordings made by real people in extreme situations. The Blair Witch filmmakers enhanced its veracity by launching an informational website and releasing a faux documentary in advance, sparking public debates about whether the movie's content was authentic. The feature film is set in and around the real town of Burkittsville, Maryland, but the actual locations...

The horror genre has continued to remain a crucial part of the filmmaking industry. Looking back at two of the most iconic films –The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008), they had one particular factor in common: both these movies were filmed with found-footage technique.

A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Haxan Films

It is a part of the filmmaking technique where the story is presented as if it was recorded by the characters in the story. Although these movies garnered critical and commercial success, the filmmaking technique ended up troubling audiences, which could have easily sunk their reception.

The Blair Witch Project Made Audiences Sick

Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project left an indelible mark on the horror genre with its low-budget, found-footage approach. It heavily utilized shaky camerawork to create a sense of realism and fear.

RELATEDConsumed Actress Courtney Halverson Talks Working With Devon Sawa in the Wendigo...

"Based on a true story is possibly the scariest horror movie caveat imaginable, regardless of its accuracy. From serial killers to paranormal activity, the horror genre is rife with films based on, or at least inspired by real events but the found footage subgenre takes a much different approach. Instead of letting you know the film is based, even loosely, in reality, found footage horror movies want to convince you that what you're watching isn't just a fictionalized recreation, but real documentary footage. Though it was hardly the first of its kind, The Blair Witch Project, which celebrates its 25th anniversary today, is one of the earliest and seminal entries in the found footage subgenre. The premise is simple enough three student filmmakers venture into the woods with a camera to investigate the myth of the so-called Blair Witch but it became a groundbreaking horror film in its own right.

There is something intrinsically disturbing about the janky handheld shots and poor image quality of found footage films that leave an eerie unease among viewers. What was, historically, a low-budget technique became the sweetheart of macabre storytelling overnight with the release of The Blair Witch Project. It is not always the case that one movie holds so much sway over an entire genre. But sometimes, the raw picture it paints is enough to take a tacit hold on the audience. With The Blair Witch Project entering its 25th anniversary this year, there is no better way to celebrate the film than to follow its trail into a spine-chilling haunting.

Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project was a runaway hit. Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Snchez incorporated their respective styles into the camera work, with scenes staged like a real documentary. Between the black-and-white professional shots and the shaky close-ups of handhelds,...

Blair Witch Project fans will finally see the film as intended, excluding additional effects and with new content on the Blu-Ray release. Producer Michael Monello announced a 25th-anniversary edition of the film revealing unseen content and the removal of previous transfer errors. An Og cast backlash followed Lionsgate's announcement of reboot, citing lack of respect and legal battles faced over their roles.

The Blair Witch Project fans may not know it, but they have never seen the original movie as it was intended to be seen by its production team. That is all set to change this October when a brand-new version of the film is released on Blu-Ray and will change everything fans know about the movie.

Blair Witch Project R HorrorMystery Release Date July 14, 1999Director Daniel Myrick, Eduardo SnchezCast Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams, Bob Griffith, Jim King, Sandra SnchezRuntime 81Main Genre HorrorWriters Daniel Myrick,...

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The 1999 summer movie season was one for the history books. It saw the release of the first "Star Wars" film in well over a decade, "Austin Powers" went from VHS success to bonafide blockbuster, and an unknown director named M. Night Shyamalan came out of nowhere to deliver the second-highest grossing title of the year. "The Sixth Sense" would've been that year's definitive work of horror, too, had it not been for "The Blair Witch Project." Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez's shoestring-budgeted phenomenon, which premiered just a few weeks before young Haley Joel Osment saw dead people, was inescapable. Heather Donahue's terrified, teary-eyed confession to her camera in the film instantly became a widely-recognized piece of iconography alongside the movie's maddening final shot, both of which would soon be referenced and parodied in virtually equal measure.

By the...

At one time, Harvey Weinstein was the most influential and powerful Hollywood producer. Through his production company Miramax, various award-winning films were made and every actor/actress wanted to be associated with him. The studio was responsible for Oscar-winning films like Pulp Fiction, The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and Shakespeare in Love.

Harvey Weinstein’s company distributed Oscar-winning films such as Good Will Hunting | Miramax Films

The studio was already among other prestige names in Hollywood by the late 90s. The studio supported both commercial films as well as indie filmmakers who were trying to make their name in the industry. However, they passed on the opportunity to distribute a micro-budget horror film The Blair Witch Project in 1999, which went on to become a big commercial success.

Miramax Missed Out On Nabbing One of The Greatest Success Stories in Hollywood

1999’s The Blair Witch Project proved to be a...

The summer of 1999 had big things planned for the supernatural horror genre. In the midst of high-budget blockbuster movies emerged a small Indie movie named The Blair Witch Project. Directed by two University of Central Florida students, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the movie drew inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece Jaws.

Joshua Leonard in The Blair Witch Project (1999) || Artisan Entertainment

Initially many studios dismissed it, considering it a risky venture. However, The Blair Witch project brought in an incredible $248.6 million worldwide, despite having a $60,000 shooting budget. Further, the movie continues to haunt the audience even after 25 years of its release.

How Steven Spielberg’s Jaws inspired The Blair Witch Project

The movie, which tells the tale of three student filmmakers named Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, was a major factor in polarizing the found-footage horror genre. To document the Blair Witch legend, the three of them head into the Maryland woods.

Back in the late 90s, when the horror genre was ripe for a new kind of terror, student filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez came up with The Blair Witch Project, which shattered conventions and pushed boundaries with its unfiltered portrayal of fear. Starring Heather Donahue in the lead role, the movie made with a mere $60,000 budget quickly became an indie horror masterpiece at its best.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Haxan Films

However, although The Blair Witch Project turned into a cult classic, based on its revolutionary found footage format, the film’s grittiness extended beyond the screen. Apparently, lead actress Heather Donahue came with her initial fears including concerns that it might be a snuff film. Considering the director’s lack of prominence and the shoestring budget, Donahue was even advised by friends and family to carry a knife for self-defense.

Heather Donahue was Initially Concerned About the Film...

Horror was in a bit of a funk in the late 90s. Then 25 years ago, in July 1999, The Blair Witch Project came along and changed everything.

In a 1996 article published in The Philadelphia Enquirer, film critic Desmond Ryan bemoaned the state of mainstream films. Citing such films as Independence Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, and that year’s hurricane thrillride Twister, Ryan argued that Hollywood had become more interested in special effects than logic or character.

“It all began,” Ryan wrote, “when Twister’s killer tornadoes sucked up everything in their path – tractors, cows, common sense, continuity, plausibility, and the quaint notion that movies should have characters you care about.”

By the end of the 1990s, the horror genre appeared to have descended into a creative funk of its own. Of the horror films released toward the end of the decade, many of the most high-profile examples were remakes or sequels in somewhat tired franchises.

In October 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkitsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later, their footage was found.

That brief but iconic introductory text and the narrative that followed would captivate millions for decades. When “The Blair Witch Project” hit theaters in summer 1999, moviegoers were enthralled by the ill-fated fictional journey of three would-be documentarians — Heather Donahue (Rei Hance), Josh Leonard (Joshua Leonard), and Mike Williams (Michael Williams) — hunting down the truth behind a local Maryland myth. It was shocking; the analog realism of the then-obscure found footage genre instilled in viewers the sense that what they were witnessing was the last record of a real tragedy. The illusion was made even more palpable thanks to a marketing campaign that embraced the early internet with a rudimentary website, missing persons posters of the characters, and a TV mockumentary companion, “Curse of the Blair Witch,” that preceded the film’s release.

The original ‘Blair Witch Project’ cast say they each got a fruit basket to commemorate the film earning $100 million at the domestic box office.Joshua Leonard, 48, one of the three actors who starred in the 1999 found-footage horror phenomenon – which made almost $250 million at the global box office on a budget of around $200,000 to $750,000 – recently hit out over their lack of residual payments for the movie in an open letter signed by himself and his former ‘Bwp’ co-stars Rei Hance (also known as Heather Donahue) and Michael Williams to Facebook on 21 April.In a new interview with Variety, the trio of stars have now said Artisan Entertainment, which acquired writer-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s film after its Sundance Film Festival premiere for $1.1 million, sent each of them a fruit basket to commemorate the film earning $100 million at the domestic box office.Rei, 49, said: “That was when it became clear that,...

For the trio of actors who almost singlehandedly turned "The Blair Witch Project" into a cultural phenomenon and one of the most terrifying horror films of the last quarter century, what should've been the dream roles of a lifetime have instead turned into a living nightmare.

In the late 1990s, young and up-and-coming performers Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard found themselves joining an extremely low-budget indie production that was then titled "The Black Hills Project." The concept was simple: The three leads would be filming approximately 10 minutes of footage as part of a fictional horror documentary, playing the part of student filmmakers searching for evidence of a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and who vanished without a trace in the Maryland woods. Not only were the three required to sign off on clauses that would allow filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez to use their...

The Blair Witch Project cast came out against Lionsgate after the announcement of a new reboot at CinemaCon this year. The year also marks the 25th anniversary of the project, and the cast now goes into detail about how they struggled after their massively successful independent film. Haxan Films hired Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard for different roles in 1997.

A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate

The three actors were intimately involved in the film, even learning to operate the camera and the sound recording equipment. Their real names were used in the film, which was not something they agreed to. When the film became a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival, Artisan Entertainment bought the film for $1.1 million.

The Blair Witch Project Cast Struggled Due to The Secrecy of Their Role A still from The Blair Witch Project (1999) | Lionsgate

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the directors of the film,...

Oscar-nominated 2022 feature “TÁR” made a chilling statement onscreen, but the film appears to have sourced one particular audio clip from an iconic horror movie: “The Blair Witch Project,” directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez.

Heather Donahue said during an interview with Variety that “TÁR” used her final scream from “The Blair Witch Project” for a key scene of its own — and without permission. In “TÁR,” the titular composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is running in the woods and hears a startling cry from an unseen woman. According to Donahue, that scream was sampled from the 1999 Lionsgate film “The Blair Witch Project,” heard at the very end of the film as her character appears to die offscreen.

Donahue, who now goes by Rei Hance on social media and elsewhere but is attributed as Donahue in the Variety piece, said she alerted “The Blair Witch Project” distributor Lionsgate to the unauthorized...

In the summer of 1999, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard were trapped in a strange sort of limbo. “The Blair Witch Project,” their debut feature, had exploded out of the Sundance Film Festival that January to become one of the most influential horror movies of the past 25 years — and, with a $35,000 budget, one of the most profitable independent films ever made. And yet Donahue was still puttering to her temp job in a 1984 Toyota Celica, before it broke down right underneath a billboard with her face on it. Williams’ boss kept asking him why he was still moving furniture in Westchester, N.Y., when he was on the cover of Newsweek. And Leonard found himself serving food to his agent at a catering gig days before he appeared on “The Tonight Show.”

“My agent asked me what the fuck I was doing,” Leonard says. “I said, ‘You know...

The Watchers explains the mysteries of the forest, trapping Mina and others, offering a satisfying explanation. The Watchers movie draws similarities to The Blair Witch Project with forest settings and supernatural elements. The concept of The Blair Witch being a Changeling like those in The Watchers would have changed the film drastically.

The Watchers fully explained the mysteries of the forest and why Mina (Dakota Fanning) and the rest couldnt escape, and this could offer a satisfying explanation for the biggest mystery of a 25-year-old horror classic. 2024 has a variety of horror movies coming up, and among them is The Watchers, directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut. The Watchers is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by A.M. Shine and follows American immigrant Mina, who works in a pet shop in Ireland. One day, shes asked to deliver a bird, but she becomes stranded in a vast forest.

What scares Stephen King? The legendary horror author has made a career (and a fortune) frightening us all with his tales of terror. But what gets under King's skin? What gives him the creeps? "Pet Sematary" was famously sold as the "Stephen King novel that scared Stephen King," mostly because King thought the book was too damn bleak but published it to fulfill a contractual obligation.

But what about horror works by other people? Are there horror movies that give the master of horror the heebie jeebies? As it turns out, there's one movie in particular King has claimed scared him. In fact, it scared him so much that the first time he watched it he requested it be turned off before the film even ended. That film: "The Blair Witch Project," the blockbuster indie horror movie that became a cultural phenomenon when it arrived in 1999.

Read more: The 95 Best...

The horror genre has always been a mix of big studios creating larger-budget films and independent projects that may not have a large amount of money, but do have the drive. While big franchises like Scream and Saw will always be important to the success of the horror genre, real gems are often found among independent films.

Some of the most famous horror movies of all time are independent films and that trend hasn't faded away. For decades, some of the best movies the genre has to offer have been created by writers and directors with a small budget and a big idea. Just in the last few years, independent studios have given the world X (2022), Midsommar (2019), Terrifier (2016), and Spree (2020). This isn't a new trend, though, these are just some of the recent examples that prove how incredible independent horror movies are.

The Blair Witch Project Popularized The Found Footage...

"The Blair Witch Project" is back in the news. First, word recently broke that a new "Blair Witch" movie is in the works from Blumhouse and Lionsgate. This was greeted as less-than-ideal information by the folks involved with the original movie, who feel they should be involved with the new film, too, and who can blame them? Then came word that the original cast members of the first film were asking for residuals for the use of their likenesses throughout the franchise.

In short, things seem messy in "Blair Witch" world. Talk about scary! But let's look beyond these recent headlines and back at the franchise itself. As of now, there are three feature films. There are also a handful of excellent made-for-tv faux documentaries that served as tie-ins for the films, but we won't be touching on those here. Instead, we're going to focus on the three theatrical releases: "The Blair Witch Project,...

Earlier this month, Lionsgate announced the revival of The Blair Witch Project franchise with a new movie. Now, in the wake of that announcement, the cast from the original film has come forward to decry “25 years of disrespect” from Lionsgate and make new demands ahead of the reboot.

Released in 1999 via Artisan Entertainment, the original Blair Witch Project starred Joshua Leonard, Heather Donahue (now named Rei Hance), and Michael Williams, who used their real names and likeness for the project. Since Artisan Entertainment was bought-out by Lionsgate in 2003, though, the cast has allegedly experienced quite a bit of disrespect, even down to being forced to go to court just to win back their own names (since their Blair Witch “characters” were IP belonging to the production house).

The announcement of the reboot last month was the straw that broke the camel’s back, though. Taking to social media, Leonard began...