Remakes have been a part of Hollywood since time immemorial, and even though film enthusiasts are absolutely over it, it doesn’t seem like they are going to stop anytime soon. The fan-favorite The Blair Witch Project is next in line as Lionsgate and Blumhouse are all set to revive the franchise. The 1999 horror film still remains one of the most terrifying films that Hollywood has to offer, and if the remake wants to stand a chance against it, the creators are going to have to give it their all and then some.
Unfortunately, things are already not looking too good for the remake as it has been revealed that the original creators behind The Blair Witch Project are not linked to the remake in any shape or form. In fact, they were not even aware of the project before it was announced at CinemaCon 2024.
The Blair Witch Project Remake Overlooks Original Creators
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the production designer on the 1999 film, Ben Rock, revealed that none of the team members behind the original The Blair Witch Project knew about the upcoming remake. This includes directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez.
This is something that has happened before in the sequels, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) and Blair Witch (2016). Rock, who was the only one to have worked on the sequels, gave his two cents on the whole thing stating, “It’s bittersweet, honestly” before adding,
“I do think that what has happened twice now was that the original creators were overlooked, and other people were brought in, all of whom were good. But neither one of the sequels connected with audiences the way they wanted it to connect. And so, it might at least be worth talking to some of the original creators.”
He couldn’t have said it better. The additions to The Blair Witch franchise have been quite underwhelming and if Lionsgate does not want to go down that road, it would be worth having the original creators chime in with their opinions.
Mike Monello, who worked as a co-producer on the 1999 film also tweeted his honest, and brutal, reaction.
Anyone working on this franchise must understand that "Blair Witch" events occur every 50-60 years. That's been codified in the mythology even before the first movie came out, and it's one reason why "sequels" aren't the way to go. https://t.co/Y9mv3JxTZF
— Mike Monello (@mikemonello) April 10, 2024
The Blair Witch Project is considered to be one of the most successful independent films of all time given the fact that principal photography cost only $35,000 and the film made almost $250 million at the box office. No wonder a remake is on the way.
Lionsgate is Making the Same Mistake as Avatar: The Last Airbender
The highly-anticipated live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 60% as opposed to the original’s 100%. The release of the series was met with mixed reviews from both fans and critics with The Ringer’s Miles Surrey stating,
“The streamer has delivered neither a masterpiece nor a colossal failure; instead, Avatar: The Last Airbender gets a passing grade—but there is reason to believe the show can improve.”
The majority of the critics seem to be of similar opinion as they believe the show could have been a lot better and that there is still room for improvement. Perhaps why the series didn’t impress viewers as much as they had hoped it would, was because the original creators of the Nickelodeon masterpiece left the show mid-way.
Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino spent two years developing the live-action series but later announced that they were leaving the adaptation.
Citing creative differences as the reason behind the withdrawal, DiMartino published an open letter on his blog (via Entertainment Weekly).
“When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners. In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped.”
He then added that while they didn’t get to “control the creative direction of the series “they could very well control their involvement in it. He also added,
“Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make.”
Here’s hoping The Blair Witch Project remake learns from this move and involves the original creators in the creative process.
You can stream The Blair Witch Project (1999) on Roku and Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.
