The Blair Witch Project: Jason Blum Working on a New Version of the Film
Horror master Jason Blum is reviving The Blair Witch Project for Lionsgate. Blumhouse is known for its low-budget approach to terror, and the original The Blair Witch Project was priced so low that it became one of the most profitable films ever. Blumhouse is behind the spine-tingling franchises Paranormal Activity and The Purge, as well as new blockbuster hits like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy‘s. Blumhouse films have grossed nearly $6 billion at the global box office, without spending too much on production costs.
The Blair Witch Project: Jason Blum Working on a New Version of the Film
The announcement was made at CinemaCon, the annual film trade show in Las Vegas. This film marks the first multi-film deal with Blumhouse reimagining horror classics for Lionsgate. Blumhouse, which has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures, recently teamed with Lionsgate on Imaginary, a thriller about a sinister teddy bear. Plot details were not revealed, but Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Adam Fogelson called the film a “new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic to a new generation”. “I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We formed a strong relationship with “The Purge” when I was at Universal and launched STX with his film “The Gift” There is no one better at this genre than the Blumhouse team”, Fogelson said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier to work with them on this and other projects that we look forward to revealing soon”.
Blum will collaborate on the new “Blair Witch” with producer Roy Lee, who previously produced the 2016 “Blair Witch” reboot. ”The original 1999 “The Blair Witch Project” is supposedly based on the true story of three student filmmakers who disappeared while making a film about the legend of the Blair Witch. It grossed a whopping $248 million and spawned two film franchises. Lionsgate currently operates a Blair Witch-themed escape room in Las Vegas called Escape Blair Witch. “I am very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for allowing us to play in their sandbox. I am a huge admirer of “The Blair Witch Project,” which brought the idea of the found footage horror film to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon,” said Blum. “I don’t think there would have been a ‘Paranormal Activity’ if there hadn’t been a ‘Blair Witch’ first, so it feels like a really special opportunity and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
Here are the words of Jason Blum:
I am very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for allowing us to play on their field. I’m a big fan of The Blair Witch Project, a title that made a horror film a true cultural phenomenon. I don’t think there would have been Paranormal Activity if the Blair Witch hadn’t come along first, so it feels like a really special opportunity and I’m excited to see what we can do with it.
While Fogelson Added:
I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We formed a strong relationship with The Purge saga when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with its film The Gift. There is no one better in this genre than the team at Blumhouse. We are thrilled to kick off this partnership with a new vision for The Blair Witch Project, which will reintroduce this horror classic to a new generation. We couldn’t be happier to be working with them on this and other projects that we can’t wait to reveal soon.
