Blair Witch Actors Demand Pay After Lionsgate Announces Sequel

Earlier this month, Lionsgate announced a Blair Witch Project reboot. Now, actors from the first film are demanding compensation.

Rei Hance (formerly known as Heather Donahue), Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams wrote an open letter to Lionsgate, which was published on Leonard’s Facebook page.

It calls for “retroactive and future residual payments…equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through [actors’ union] Sag-Aftra.” In the open letter, it’s claimed the actors did not have “proper union or legal representation when the film was made”.

They also say they’re open to consultation in order to make the next film better. “Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch … we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!”

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most profitable films of all time, grossing $248m at the worldwide box office against a miniscule budget of just $60,000 and kickstarting the found footage genre.

It released in 1999, but popularity dwindled after a poorly received follow-up soon after in 2000, and a second in 2016.

Lionsgate announced The Blair Witch Project reboot during its CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on 11 April. This is to be the fourth film in the series, with 2016’s director Roy Lee to return. Lionsgate hasn’t commented on the letter.

In other horror news, Sydney Sweeney stars in new horror film Immaculate from Neon.