Following their collaboration on horror pic Imaginary, Lionsgate and Blumhouse are partnering again, this time to develop and produce a brand new take on The Blair Witch Project. This will be the first film in a multi-picture pact with Blumhouse reimagining horror classics from the Lionsgate library. The announcement was made by Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation this morning.
Blum will team with producer Roy Lee on the new Blair Witch; Lee previously produced the 2016 film Blair Witch.
The first Blair Witch film was a phenomenon when it was released in 1999, becoming a global blockbuster with $248M at the box office and spawning two additional franchise films. Lionsgate currently operates Escape Blair Witch, one of Las Vegas’ most popular escape room experiences.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Jason many times over the years. We forged a strong relationship on The Purge when I was at Universal, and we launched STX with his film The Gift. There is no one better at this genre than the team at Blumhouse,” said Fogelson. “We are thrilled to kick this partnership off with a new vision for Blair Witch that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them on this and other projects we look forward to revealing soon.”
Said Blum, “I’m very grateful to Adam and the team at Lionsgate for letting us play in their sandbox. I’m a huge admirer of The Blair Witch Project, which brought the idea of found footage horror to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon. I don’t think there would have been a Paranormal Activity had there not first been a Blair Witch, so this feels like a truly special opportunity and I’m excited to see where it leads.”
