After Halloween, Blumhouse Is Reviving Another Beloved Horror Franchise
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It’d be an understatement to say that Blumhouse Productions has been making some serious noise in the movie business over the past decade or so. Producer Jason Blum and co. have truly carved out a space for themselves by delivering a vast array of horror offerings. They’ve delivered original offerings like The Purge, Get Out and M3GAN but have also rebooted some beloved IPs. Among those are the Halloween series as well as The Exorcist. Now, it seems the company is preparing to revive yet another famous piece of work, and it’s definitely a biggie.
During Lionsgate’s presentation at CinemaCon, it was confirmed that Blumhouse is officially set to reboot The Blair Witch Project. This not only marks yet another major release for the entertainment brand, but it also signifies the beginning of a multi-picture deal between BH and Lionsgate. CinemaBlend was present at the panel, during which the film studio’s Motion Picture Group chair, Adam Fogelsen, discussed the production. As he put it, this will be a “new vision” for the franchise “that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” In a statement, he also said:
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. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them on this and other projects we look forward to revealing soon.
Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum also shared some sentiments on this new venture, and he seems excited to be moving forward. While expressing his enthusiasm, he also spoke to the impact of the classic scary movie:
I’m very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for letting us play in their sandbox. 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.
The Blair Witch Project, which hit theaters in 1999, still stands as one of the scariest and most influential horror flicks of all time. The found-footage production centers around three aspiring filmmakers, who trek across the Black Hills of Maryland to make a documentary about the movie’s titular myth. In time, the trio meet ambiguous ends and, as explained, their footage is what makes up the feature film itself. The Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez-directed independent movie grossed over $248 million worldwide against a production budget that reportedly didn’t exceed $750,000.
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On paper, this production is a smart move on Blumhouse’s part for a few reasons. First off, it aligns with its business model, as this is yet another film that can be made on a shoe-string budget. Secondly (and most obviously), this IP is very popular and, if handled with care, it could indeed win over both longtime fans of the OG movie and newbies. That’s certainly a big “if,” though Jason Blum and co. have taken major swings before and been met with positive results.
Unsurprisingly, story details were not revealed during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon spiel. That begs the question of whether this will serve as a full-blown remake or a legacy sequel of sorts. The latter route was taken with the most recent Halloween and Exorcist installments, and those were met with varied responses. At this point, there are also two sequels to The Blair Witch Project, including 2000's Book of Shadows and 2016's Blair Witch, which bombed at the box office.
There may still be a number of variables to consider here, but the prospect of a Blumhouse-produced third installment is intriguing, at the very least. We’ll have to see if Jason Blum and his cohorts manage to recapture the sheer terror that audiences experienced in theaters over two decades ago. Here’s hoping the right pieces come together to create a truly entertaining film.
Right now, you can check out Blumhouse’s recently released 2024 movie schedule, Imaginary, as it’s playing in theaters now. The Blair Witch Project, which has a killer ending, is also available to stream with a Prime Video subscription. Also, anyone who loves scary fare should keep an eye on the schedule of upcoming horror movies.
