Original Blair Witch cast issues statement asking for residuals and recognition

The cast and crew of 1999's game-changing The Blair Witch Project didn’t go out and get terrorized in the woods for nothing, even if that’s sort of how they’re being treated by Lionsgate and Blumhouse right now. Ever allergic to new ideas, the two major studios announced yet another reboot of the iconic found footage horror film earlier this month.

But Hollywood’s current creative famine actually isn’t the scariest part of this whole debacle. In response to the announcement, Joshua Leonard—one of the stars of the original film—said that the studios hadn’t even told him about the project, much less consulted him on the story that he and his co-stars, Heather Donahue and Michael C. Williams, had largely improvised. He also claimed that the three actors “never saw another dime” after their original $300,000 payout, despite the fact that Lionsgate has been trying (and failing) to make a franchise out of their ideas for over two decades now.

Now, Leonard, Donahue, and Williams are doubling down. In a jointly-signed statement posted on Leonard’s Facebook page this weekend, the three actors—self-described as “greyer, surlier, wiser, and with far fewer fucks to give when it comes to speaking up for their own rights and the rights of other artists who are being been put in similar compromised/extractive positions by a dehumanizing system at this very moment”—have made a list of (very reasonable, in this writer’s opinion) demands from Lionsgate.

First, the trio is asking for retroactive and future residual payments “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.” In response to the surprise of the sequel, they are also asking for “meaningful consultation” on any future Blair Witch project (including toys, games, rides, and even escape rooms, which should cover the Willy Wonka disaster probability). “Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team,” they write. “As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far unutilized secret-weapon!”

Finally, the actors are also paying it forward by asking for the creation of a “Blair Witch Grant,” a 60k fund (the budget of the original film) paid by Lionsgate “to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making their first feature film.” “This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project,” they knowingly specify.

Original film directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, along with producers Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie and Michael Monello, have also chimed in with their own statement supporting Leonard, Donahue, and Williams:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

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. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

You can read Leonard’s full post below: