There have been three ‘Blair Witch’ films released, so far, with the original still being the only good one. Last we heard from this franchise, Adam Wingard destroyed it with 2016’s “Blair Witch.”
Lionsgate and Blumhouse seem to believe that it’s a great idea to make another ‘Blair Witch’ movie. A reboot, which was recently announced, is part of a multifilm deal between the studios that will see Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from Lionsgate.
Now, ahead of Blair Witch’s 25th theatrical anniversary, in July, the original cast is demanding that they directly benefit from the film. On Saturday, actors Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard released a joint statement, directed at Lionsgate, asking for retroactive and future residual payments for their roles in the original film.
Short version, they could have made several million each, but, 20 years ago, signed away the rights to the franchise, for $300,000 each.
The trio also demanded that they should provide “meaningful consultation” on future ‘Blair Witch’ projects, be they prequel, sequel, reboots, and so on.
Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!
Oh, and they also called on Lionsgate to send over a $60,000 grant (the budget of the ‘Blair Witch Project’) for “an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker” making their first film. And as it’s a grant, Lionsgate wouldn’t end up owning any of the rights to said project.
You might probably be asking yourself, what have Donahue, Williams and Leonard been up to since ‘Blair Witch’? Not much. Leonard’s been the busiest, starring in, mostly, C-movies. They probably need the cash. That’s what this is all about.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.