In response to Lionsgate and Blumhouse’s announcement of yet another reboot of the iconic found footage horror film ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ the original cast members Joshua Leonard, Heather Donahue, and Michael C. Williams have voiced their dissatisfaction. Leonard, one of the film’s stars, claims that the studio failed to consult him on the new project or acknowledge their contributions to the franchise.
The actors allege that they received a one-time payment of $300,000 for their work on the original film and have not received any subsequent compensation despite Lionsgate’s efforts to expand the franchise. They argue that they should have been entitled to residual payments and that the studio has profited immensely from their creative input.
Leonard, Donahue, and Williams have issued a joint statement demanding retroactive and future residual payments equivalent to what they would have received through proper union representation. They also seek meaningful consultation on any future projects related to the ‘Blair Witch’ franchise, including toys, games, and escape rooms.
Additionally, the actors have proposed the creation of a ‘Blair Witch Grant,’ a $60,000 fund to be provided by Lionsgate to an aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in the production of their first feature film. The grant would not give Lionsgate any rights to the funded project. The original film’s directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, along with producers Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello, have expressed their support for the actors’ demands. They argue that the cast’s contributions to the franchise’s success should be recognized and that their creative input should not be ignored.
