Given the buzz the micro budget Paranormal Activity has been generating it seems entirely logical that the decade old Blair Witch Project might manifest itself once again.
The Toronto Star met up with one of the directors of the 1999 film which ushered in ten years of handheld/webcam based horror films, with Cloverfield and the aforementioned Paranormal Activity two recent examples, and asked Eduardo Sánchez about his plans for the future.
Turning down the unfairly derided Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows, Sanchez and Daniel Myrick recently took a trip back to the location of the original film to gather inspiration for their next project.
The interview is a great read, and Sanchez is controlled about the direction the Blair Witch sequel (i.e. ignoring Book of Shadows completely) may take.
“We’re at the step where we’re about to pitch to Lionsgate, which owns the movie rights now. It’s pretty much up to them. They can completely squash it or greenlight it.”
The world of horror cinema was greatly affected by Blair Witch, not least the unconventional first person camerawork and documentary style now assimilated by big budget blockbusters like District 9, but also the role of the Internet in its marketing.
Now every film has a website, a Flash game, a Facebook group and this is thanks in part to Sanchez and Myrick. Whatever they have planned it needs to rely less on innovative techniques and more on the story they tell.
For our look back on the Blair Witch phenomenon click here, here and here.
