Even thoughThe Blair Witch Projectis one of the most profitable movies ever made, it remains an intellectual property associated with questionable sequels and"reprehensible behavior" toward the actors. In 2024, after a newBlair Witch Projectmovie was announced, the directors and the stars of the original slammed Lionsgate for various reasons, and while those allegations remain a subject of controversy, actorMichael C. Williams, who played Michael in the 1999 original, recently posted a mysterious message on his Instagram account that may tease his involvement in the future of thehorrorfranchise – and may also serve as a sign that the bad blood is finally behind him.
This year marks the 26th anniversary ofThe Blair Witch Project’s release, and Williams celebrated the legacy of the movie by posting on Instagram. The image is a behind-the-scenes still that shows his character in the movie’s final scene, when Michael meets his fate, and just stares at the wall while something attacks Heather. It’s one of the most chilling images in modern horror, but what’s most interesting about the post is the caption.
The Blair Witch Project: How It Changed Movie Marketing Forever
Theaters were packed in 1999 with viewers trying to see the scariest film ever made. And it was real. But how did they find out about it?
Williams expresses his gratitude to his fellowBlair Witchveterans who shared their stories when they decided to stand up and speakabout their situation, including claims that their financial compensation doesn’t reflect the film’s success. “Thank you also to @adambvaryplus and @lisettevoytko for reporting on our story in @variety and @forbes respectively and bringing attention to this on a national level. And a deep, deep thank you to @lizzknightt for helping us find a path for our voices,” the caption reads. Williams also uses the space to thank his co-star Joshua Leonard: “I’m most deeply grateful for my dear friend @thejoshualeonard for his continued advocacy and assertiveness coupled with his own sensibility about what it means to listen. You’re a literal gem, brother.” Additionally, the actor writes that Lionsgate and Blumhouse “did listen” and teases his future involvement in whatever’s coming next:
“In a world where it increasingly seems as though no one listens to one another any longer, I’m beyond grateful to report that @lionsgate and @itsjasonblum (@blumhouse) actually did listen. While I won’t get into the details, I can say that after 26 years, I finally feel like a valued contributor to the world of The Blair Witch Project (though, in fairness, you fans have always made me feel that way!) and I truly appreciate these folks hearing us out and coming to the table. They proved to be thoughtful and responsive to our concerns and it is important to me to acknowledge this with public gratitude and appreciation towards them.
“I am excited for what’s to come next in the Blair Witch universe. I’ve found the map and we’re definitely moving forward.”
The Blair Witch Will Be Brought Back to Life for Modern Viewers
Despite nobody asking for it, a newBlair Witchmovie is on the way courtesy of Lionsgate, Blumhouse and Roy Lee.The announcement was made last year, and Blum expressed his excitement, comparing the 1999 pioneering film to his own hitParanormal Activity, saying, “I don’t think there would have been aParanormal Activityhad there not first been aBlair Witch, so this feels like a truly special opportunity, and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
The question is, do we really need a sequel toThe Blair Witch Project? Two vastly different sequels were made, and were greeted with mixed reactions from fans. Though modern generations are perhaps not familiar with the late ’90s found footage phenomenon, perhaps what stood out about the original is precisely what the new movie won’t have. The originalBlair Witchmovie is famous for exposing nothing about the actual threat — a narrative direction that was also used in the sequelBook of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. This was discarded in 2016’sBlair Witch, where fans actually got to see something of the “monster.”
In times when movies are seen as content, and modern generations have shorter attention spans, attempting a new version ofThe Blair Witch Projectis risky. On the other hand, Jason Blum has certainly earned trust from horror fans. Hopefully, he’ll prove to audiences thatold-school horrorcan still make you cover your eyes.
