Blair Witch Reboot Summons Back the Original Stars and Filmmakers as Executive Producers

Let's talk about the new Blair Witch Project: yes, they really are rebooting The Blair Witch Project again. And this time, Blumhouse is running the show, which feels like a pretty natural fit considering their whole thing is horror revivals and creepy vibes. After two years in development limbo, there's finally some concrete news: a director has been picked, and the lineup of producers is...interesting.

Meet the Director: Dylan Clark (Who?)

This new Blair Witch movie is being handed off to Dylan Clark, who—if you're drawing a blank—hasn't actually directed a feature film yet. So, if you're wondering why his name sounds unfamiliar, that's why. Clark's first crack at a feature is supposed to be Portrait of God, an upcoming horror flick at Universal that has both Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele attached to produce. (No pressure, right?) The plot for Portrait of God is being kept secret, but his original short was about a religious young woman who stumbles onto the answer to the question: "What does God look like?"

Clark is also writing and directing a longer version of another of his short films, Story Time, so clearly he's making a name for himself fast—just not as a Blair Witch-style found footage trailblazer (yet).

Who's Calling the Shots?

This is where it gets a little crowded behind the scenes. Here's the run-down:

• James Wan (yes, of The Conjuring) is producing for Atomic Monster
• Jason Blum and Blumhouse are also producing
• Roy Lee, one of the guys behind the 2016 Blair Witch sequel, is back
• Atomic Monster's Michael Clear, Judson Scott, and Alayna Glasthal are executive producing/overseeing
• Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath of Divide/Conquer are on board as producers
• Steven Schneider is executive producing too
• Scott O'Brien and Pavan Kalidindi appear to be babysitting the whole thing for Lionsgate

In other words: yes, practically every major horror producer in Hollywood is on this. The plan isn't just for one movie, either—Blumhouse and Lionsgate want this to relaunch Blair Witch for a new generation and (unsurprisingly) possibly churn out a whole new series.

Old School Blair Witch Team Joins…Mostly

Here's where things get weird if you follow all the behind-the-scenes drama. Two of the original cast members—Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams—plus the original creators (Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale) are all executive producing this reboot. That's literally almost everyone responsible for the original film being a phenomenon.

But there's a pretty awkward note: Heather Donahue, the third star of the original, is not listed as an executive producer. Given the whole movie basically revolved around those three, it's a head-scratcher she's not part of the deal… or maybe it's not, depending on how you read the next part of this story.

A Little Compensation Controversy (Now Apparently Settled)

If you've followed Blair Witch drama over the years, you know the original cast got famously little cash for a franchise that made a gigantic amount of money. Back when this reboot was first announced, Donahue, Leonard, and Williams spoke out, saying they'd never gotten proper financial credit and wanted residuals '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.' They also wanted input on future films. That public pressure seems to have worked: a few months ago, Williams confirmed on social media that everything's been hashed out with Lionsgate and Blumhouse. Now, both he and Leonard are listed as executive producers (but, again, Donahue is not, for reasons that aren't clear in the press release).

New Blood Meets Old Legends (And Corporate Horror Overlords)

So, to sum it up: the Blair Witch Project is heading back into the woods with yet another reboot, led by a director making his big-screen debut but with a powerhouse group of producers and at least some of the original cast/crew getting a say (and, finally, a paycheck). The whole thing is part of a multi-movie deal between Lionsgate and Blumhouse that'll dust off some horror classics for a new generation. Whether this version will stick the landing—or just get lost in the forest—remains to be seen, but the mix of fresh blood and franchise names should make for some interesting developments.

'bringing the full mythology and legacy of the franchise to a new generation of storytelling'

Will it actually pull that off, or will it just prove some horror stories are better left un-rebooted? Guess we'll find out soon enough.