Blair Witch Project Director Hails Upcoming Sequel
Eduardo Sanchez, co-director of ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ has heaped praise on its upcoming sequel ‘Blair Witch.’
Sanchez and Daniel Myrick directed the low budget 1999 horror movie which proved a mainstream crossover sensation, popularised the found footage format, and became one of the most profitable films ever made (grossing almost $250 million worldwide off the back of a reported $60,000 budget).
The much-maligned ‘Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2’ followed in 2000, but otherwise the series has remained dormant for almost 16 years – until it was revealed at San Diego Comic Con 2016 that ‘The Woods,’ a new horror movie from director Adam Wingard, was in fact ‘Blair Witch,’ a revival of the franchise.
Speaking earlier this week on the Found Footage Critic podcast (quotes via Bloody Disgusting), Sanchez spoke highly of the new film from Wingard (director of ‘You’re Next’ and ‘The Guest’):
“It’s just full-blast ‘Blair Witch’… It’s really creepy and the last third is just crazy. It’s just all over the place. It just does not let you go, you know? I’m really happy to have been a part of it… it kind of progresses the found-footage genre a little bit which I think is really cool.
“It’s really, really well grounded in the original. And I think that the fans of the original will get a lot out of it… it kind of takes our film and blows the doors off and goes nuts with it, in a really really good way.”
The sequel follows a new group of college students – one among them the brother of ‘The Blair Witch Project’s Heather - who head out into those same dreaded woods in the hopes of finding some trace of the lost student filmmakers, and to uncover the truth about the Blair Witch legend. Of course, things don’t go quite according to plan.
Since ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ Sanchez has gone solo as a director on horror films including ‘Lovely Molly’ and ‘Exists.’
‘Blair Witch’ opens in UK cinemas on 15 September.
Picture Credit: Lionsgate, Artisan Entertainment
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