Home Entertainment ‘Blair Witch’ actor slams ’25 years of disrespect’ as reboot revealed

‘Blair Witch’ actor slams ’25 years of disrespect’ as reboot revealed

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‘Blair Witch’ actor slams ’25 years of disrespect’ as reboot revealed

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It was a bit witchy of them.

The original production team behind the 1999 film “The Blair Witch Project” revealed Monday that they’ve not been asked to return to the most recent reboot of the franchise.

“It’s bittersweet, honestly,” production designer Ben Roc, told The Hollywood Reporter after learning of the new installment during CinemaCon last week.

According to Rock, 56, this is not the first time that the production team has been ignored when it came to revamping the thriller series.

The original production team behind the 1999 film “The Blair Witch Project” revealed Monday that they had not been asked to return to the most recent reboot of the franchise. ©Artisan Entertainment/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection
The production designer also noted that tensions between the studio and the team were running high. ©Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

Rock noted that no one from the film — including co-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez — were involved when Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced the 2000 sequel “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2” or the 2016 follow-up.

Additionally, the production designer noted that tensions between the studio and the team were running high.

“I do think that what has happened twice now was that the original creators were overlooked, and other people were brought in, all of whom were good,” Rock said. “But neither one of the sequels connected with audiences the way they wanted it to connect. And so it might at least be worth talking to some of the original creators.”

“I understand that you can be too close to something, and maybe an outside perspective is helpful, but in aggregate, it didn’t work,” he continued. “They didn’t make the hit that they wanted to make. I’m hoping Blumhouse isn’t like, ‘Hey, let’s go reboot this without talking to anybody [from the first one].’ But they haven’t talked to any of us.”

Things further escalated when one of the original cast members, Joshua Leonard, posted about his own frustrations with the franchise on Instagram. Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Online USA, Inc.
Myrick and Sánchez’s film premiered at Sundance in 1999 and was a sure-fire summer blockbuster before becoming one of the most profitable films ever to be made. ©Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

“I don’t know how you outdo what we did. But I care about the franchise, so whoever does it, I hope they handle it with care,” he concluded.

The Post reached out to Lionsgate and Blumhouse for comment.

Rock’s frustrations were also echoed by Mike Monello, who served as co-producer for the horror flick.

“Radical idea: You could try putting this project in the hands of the original team that made the first one,” Monello posted on X (formerly Twitter). “You know, the team that actually has an entire franchise plan to reinvent what a ‘Blair Witch’ movie could be?”

Things further escalated when one of the original cast members, Joshua Leonard, posted about his own frustrations with the franchise on Instagram.

“I’m so proud of our little punk-rock movie, and I LOVE the fans who keep the flames burning,” Leonard, 48, wrote. “But at this point, it’s 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.”

The original film, which is told in first-person and led by Leonard, Heather Donahue and Michael C. Williams, tells the story of three teens who wander in a nearby wood to see if they can catch a glimpse of the mysterious Blair Witch. ©Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

The original film, which is told in first-person and led by Leonard, Heather Donahue and Michael C. Williams, tells the story of three teens who wander in a nearby wood to see if they can catch a glimpse of the mysterious Blair Witch.

Myrick and Sánchez’s film premiered at Sundance in 1999 and was a sure-fire summer blockbuster before becoming one of the most profitable films ever to be made.

In an effort to market the film even more, the movie’s team designed several missing posters featuring the three-person cast and even developed a website — which is now defunct — that hosted several videos of actors pretending to be law enforcement officers giving testimony about their casework.

No release date or plot details have been given about the new film.

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