©Photo by Artisan Entertainment – © 1999 Artisan Entertainment
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, the stars of the original The Blair Witch Project, have come together to release a public response and proposal to Lionsgate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The news comes after the studio recently announced a partnership with Blumhouse to reboot the groundbreaking 1999 horror film
The performers wrote in a statement on Facebook yesterday that they’re asking Lionsgate for retroactive and future residual payments for the supernatural movie series. The trio is also requesting meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch projects and an annual $60,000 grant for an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.
“Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective,” the actors wrote in part. “Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love and want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!”
Donahue (who now goes by the name Rei Hance and retired from acting in 2008), Leonard and Williams’ post also initiated a statement from the filmmakers of their version of The Blair Witch Project. Those filmmakers include helmers Eduardo Sánchez and Dan Myrick, and producers Gregg Hole, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello.
“While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast – Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams,” the filmmakers’ statement read. “As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.”
The statement continued: “We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.”
The actors’ statement comes 10 days after Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced their plan to revive the franchise with a new movie that Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson called “a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” Besides that announcement, Lionsgate has not yet publicly commented any further on the series, including the actors’ and filmmakers’ statements, however.
The Blair Witch Project was initially released by Artisan Entertainment in July 1999, which Lionsgate acquired in December 2003. Lionsgate didn’t have any involvement in producing or distributing the original movie, as it only acquired the property through its buyout of Artisan Entertainment.
The latter studio also didn’t have any involvement in producing or distributing the first film’s initial follow-up, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, which was released in October 2000. However, the company did produce and distribute the franchise’s latest installment, Blair Witch, which was released in September 2016. Lionsgate also currently operates a Blair Witch-themed escape room in Las Vegas.
Earlier this week, Leonard was among the cast and crewmembers from the original movie who shared their frustrations over their lack of involvement in the future development of the series. “I’m so proud of our little punk-rock movie, and I love the fans who keep the flames burning,” the actor wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Leonard also said that he and his co-stars shot and improvised the independent film for about a week on a shoestring budget, and were willing to use their real names for their characters. Each of the three actors made $300,000 from a buyout of their ownership points on the film, which went on to gross $248 million worldwide. In 2002, the trio sued Artisan Entertainment for using their names and likenesses in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.
Read Donahue, Leonard and Williams’s full statement below:
“OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of The Blair Witch Project):
1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.
2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc… , in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.
Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!
3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by @lionsgate , to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence @lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.”
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