While the studios' CinemaCon presentations are usually about the coming year's slate, there are always usually announcements of future projects. Lionsgate took the chance at its 2024 edition to announce that it is partnering with Blumhouse to develop a new take on classic 1999 found footage horror The Blair Witch Project.
Yes, the story of three film students who venture into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the titular local scare legend… And are never heard from again, the footage being tracked down and assembled after the fact.
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, it famously had some thinking that the ill-fated trio really did perish and that the film is all that remains of their quest. The movie spawned a sequel, the benighted Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and Adam Wingard's own fresh take, 2016's Blair Witch.
This decision appears to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Blumhouse given access to the Lionsgate horror library. And let's face it — if anyone has a solid chance at making something good out of older horror titles, Jason Blum's team have a solid track record. Are there slightly hyperbolic statements expressing excitement? That's a bingo!
"I’m very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for letting us play in their sandbox," says Blum. "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. 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."
"I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We forged a strong relationship on The Purge when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with his film The Gift. There is no one better at this genre than the team at Blumhouse," gushes Lionsgate's Adam Fogelson. "We are thrilled to kick this partnership off with a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them on this and other projects we look forward to revealing soon."