Summary
In April 2024,Blumhouse announced a newBlair Witchmovie, and it’s hard not to think that the film will miss what made the original movie so great. WhenThe Blair Witch Projectwas released in 1999, it was a huge success that no one could stop talking about. Even now, several decades later, horror fans enjoy revisiting the unique and exciting circumstances of its release. Audiences walked away from theshocking ending ofThe Blair Witch Projectunsure what to think, and the eerie setting, mysterious villain, and three college-aged main characters all contributed to a perfect movie.
According toPeople, Blumhouse and Lionsgate made a deal to take “horror classics from the Lionsgate library” and create new versions. While there aremany great Blumhouse horror movies, there are a few reasons why the newBlair Witch Projectwon’t work.
Why Blumhouse’s Blair Witch Project Won’t Work
Blumhouse’sBlair Witch Projectwill be disappointing because it won’t include the elements that made the original movie so brilliant and thrilling. For one thing, the movie was told in anovel cinéma vérité style, which set it apart fromcorny ’90s horror movies that don’t hold up. Since it wasfilmed like a documentary,people weren’t sure if it was real. It was a unique and memorable movie-watching experience and it really seemed like Heather, Mike, and Joshua were under attack by a mysterious figure in the woods.
The Blair Witch Projectused viral marketingto make audiences think it was a true story, which added to the terrifying atmosphere. It’s easy to imagine sitting in a movie theater and believing it was real. Since that has already been done and people are more savvy today thanks to social media, that experience can’t be replicated.
In an interview withBuzzfeed News, Michael C. Williams, one of the stars ofThe Blair Witch Project, said:
“So people definitely believed that the film was real. Even people that knew my family back then… I think we probably pissed a lot of people off. But imagine pissing people off when they find out you’re alive! They’re angry about that. That’s odd.”
There’s also the problem that whileaudiences didn’t know what to expectwhen watching the original, that isn’t the case now. People know thatThe Blair Witch Project, which wasinspired by some real and scary elements, wasn’t actually a true story. A sequel can never replicate the genuine fear people felt watching the original.
How Many Blair Witch Movies Are There?
There have beenthree movies in theBlair Witch Project franchise. After the original was released in 1999, the2000 sequel Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2was released, followed by the2016 rebootBlair Witch.Considering that the horror movie already had two sequels that weren’t well-received, it doesn’t make sense to make yet another movie.
The storylines of these two sequels aren’t as fascinating as the first movie. InBook of Shadows, grad students investigate thelegend of the Blair Witch monster. InBlair Witch, Heather’s brother James Donahue (James Allen McCune) wants to make a documentary about his sister who went missing. Sequels should tell an engaging story instead of just reaching old events or having new characters who are somewhat connected to the original ones, and neitherBlair Witchsequel succeeded in telling a brand new and interesting story.
What Was The Critical Reception To The Blair Witch Project?
Thecritical response toThe Blair Witch Projectwas mostly positive. The movie has an86% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer based on 171 reviewsand critics praised thefound footage horror movie. Every element went over well, from the smart characters to the chilling atmosphere of the woods to the search for the Blair Witch, who is one of thescariest female villains in a horror movie.
Given the movie’s box office success and the countless positive reviews, it’s logical that there is still a lot of interest in making a newBlair Witchmovie. It’s impossible to ignore the legacy it left on the horror genre. As Jason Blum said, according to People:
“I’m a huge admirer ofThe 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 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.”
However, horror fans can simply rewatch the originalBlair Witch Projectand marvel over its clever filmmaking style and hype surrounding its release. AlthoughBlumhouse has created many memorable horror villainsand makes impressive movies every year, nothing will compare to theBlair Witch Projectfrom 1999. While horror fans might enjoy checking out the new movie and seeing what it’s like, they will likely prefer the original.
