Back in April of last year, the stars of the original found footage classic The Blair Witch Project released a joint statement that spread like wildfire here in the horror community. Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard came together in the hopes of getting some recognition from Lionsgate, the current rights holders of the iconic property, alleging “25 years of disrespect from the folks who’ve pocketed the lion’s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless.”
You can read the full statement from the Blair Witch Project trio here, but the basis gist is that Donahue, Williams and Leonard were looking for residuals, and “meaningful consultation” on future Blair Witch Project expansions, as well as an annual 60k grant from Lionsgate to “an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.”
The statement, which was co-signed by the filmmakers – Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello – was released in the wake of Lionsgate and Blumhouse announcing that they’re making a new Blair Witch movie.
We bring this up because Michael C. Williams has released a brand new statement over on Instagram this week, and it provides a positive update to last year’s aforementioned issues.
Williams writes, “This July marks the 26th anniversary of the release of The Blair Witch Project. Much has transpired over this past year and I wanted to share something with all of you:
“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 Jason Blum/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.”
The official statement from the Blair Witch star continues, “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.”
We don’t know anything further about the situation at this time, but it’s great to hear that the original stars of The Blair Witch Project are feeling much better about their place in the franchise’s history. The actors largely improvised their performances and even used their real names in the movie, with the film’s viral marketing campaign leading many to believe that they weren’t actually actors in a movie, but rather real people who truly went missing out in the woods. All this to say, Donahue, Williams and Leonard are collectively a huge part of why The Blair Witch Project became a pop culture phenomenon. Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
View this post on Instagram
The post ‘The Blair Witch Project’ Star Shares Positive Update About Lionsgate/Blumhouse Relationship appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
