The stars of The Blair Witch Project are banding together and sharing a public proposal to Lionsgate after the studio partnered with Blumhouse for a reboot.
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams shared a statement asking for retroactive and future residual payments, want “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch projects and also want the studio to start a grant for aspiring filmmakers.
The trio is asking for residuals “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.”
Donahue, Leonard and Williams want to be consulted “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.”
“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,” read the statement shared on Facebook. “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!”
Lastly, the trio ask for “The Blair Witch Grant” to be created with a 60k prize, like the original film’s budget, which would be awarded “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.”
The post also shared a statement from Eduardo Sánchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hole, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello, the directors and producers of The Blair Witch Project.
“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,” reads the statement. “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.”
Read the full statements below.
Statement from ‘The Blair Witch’ project stars
Statement from ‘The Blair Witch’ project directors and producers