Subject: Local Movie News: Original “Blair Witch” Directors and Actors Added to Production of New Unneeded Remake..

April 30, 2026

Movie producers Jason Blum and James Wan have wisely, smartly—-and rightfully—added five cast and crew members from the original groundbreaking and influential 1999 horror film “The Blair Witch Project” to Lionsgate’s wholly wayward and unneeded remake, according to an exclusive story broken today by The Hollywood Reporter.

Original film directors Ed Sanchez and Daniel Myrick; original film co-producer Gregg Hale; and original film actors Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams have been added to the remake’s crew as executive producers, the Reporter reported. Dylan Clark is directing the new version; Blum and Wan, for some reason and apparently in the early stages of senility and dementia, are producing; and Chris Thomas Devlin wrote a script, according to the Reporter.

Although it’s good news, nice and very respectful that the increasingly devolving Blum and the somewhat recently-misguided Wan have included these original filmmakers and actors, none of this answers the major question at hand here:

Why on earth, just why in holy hell, is anyone anywhere remaking one of the most distinctive, original, influential, groundbreaking and wholly, completely un-remakeable singular films for any reason? In other words: No one, not anyone, not nohow, not in any way, should be remaking “The Blair Witch Project.”

It’s just stupid.

Sanchez’s, Myrick’s and Hale’s original, spooky, scary and downright terrifying “The Blair Witch Project” was released in 1999 after and amid one of the most clever, sneaky, sly, deceptive and original pre-release marketing and advertising projects in film history. The directors conjured up a completely fake backstory, folktale, campfire story and urban legend—-all in one—-set in Montgomery County, Maryland, that freaked out, captured, engulfed and terrified everyone in Montgomery and Frederick Counties, everyone in the D.C. area, and everyone in the country, too. The backstory and urban legend—which was completely made up for the movie—was created, developed and marketed with such conviction, everyone thought that the backstory and the urban legend were real.

This prompted a sensation, a phenomenon and a zeitgeist—-all of which occurred before the movie even hit theaters in its initial theatrical release!

And after the film’s release in June, 1999, well, you know what happened next: “The Blair Witch Project” went on to become one of the most profitable films in movie history, and suddenly every filmmaker lazily and non-creatively decided that they had to make a so-called “found footage” movie. None of the “found footage” ripoff movies that followed “Blair” captured the true spirit of “Blair;” none of them were as good as “Blair;” and all of them, “Cloverfield” included, came off as cliched ripoffs.

Then, alarmingly, two awful “Blair Witch” sequels appeared, in 2000 and 2016. Those movies, too, were awful, tired, cliched and ripoffs. And, horribly—-none of the original 1999 movie’s cast or crew were included on these dumb sequels. Many of the cast and crew rightfully voiced their displeasure to the studios, Artisan and Lionsgate, which bought Artisan.

Now, at least, Blum and Wan are listening, and they have at least included Sanchez, Myrick, Hale, Leonard and Williams in this new crazy unneeded remake.

But, in the end, this remake is not needed; it’s a bad, stupid idea; and it simply should not be made.

The original 1999 “The Blair Witch Project” is its own film, of its own time, and it stands, and should continue standing, alone, by itself, without any crazy stupid new remakes spoiling and soiling its singular filmic legacy.

Here’s the link to the story in The Hollywood Reporter:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blair-witch-project-reboot-original-stars-directors-1236580696/#recipient_hashed=e71a6c6ac4aabef4ee167d6e656934c205af674b946bcfa1313f7ef5364e0f16&recipient_salt=79fc3e952e42338ad3155c167dfc51cbeee8ca2591ef2e0d70b62cdec8dfeebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=Breaking%20News&utm_content=679493_04-30-2026&utm_term=3552464&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=1777564828-Breaking+News&utm_content=679493_4-30-2026&utm_id=679493

–Matt.
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