‘Blair Witch Project’ Actors Push for Retroactive Royalties
The creative team behind the 1999 hit horror film “The Blair Witch Project” is calling for increased retroactive compensation for the movie’s three stars, as well as “meaningful consultation” on an upcoming reboot.
The request came in the form of an open letter spearheaded by Joshua Leonard, one of the film’s stars, and posted to social media on Saturday, weeks after Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced the reboot.
“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 letter reads, citing the two other leads along with Leonard.
It continues, “We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.”
The letter is co-signed by the film’s directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, as well as Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello, who were producers on the original film.
“The Blair Witch Project” became a pop culture phenomenon thanks to its shaky, hand-held filming and mostly improvised dialogue, in addition to its shoestring budget and a quirky internet marketing campaign.