Blair Witch Returns.
Lionsgate Plans Blair Witch Project Remake for 2027 with Original Filmmakers and Producers.
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Key Points
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Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, stars of the 1999 Blair Witch Project, will serve as executive producers on the new film, with the original filmmakers Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick and Gregg Hale also on board as executive producers.
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High-profile producers are aboard the reboot, including James Wan (Blumhouse) and Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi, who are also producing the project.
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Director Dylan Clark was discovered on YouTube after his horror short Portrait of God, and that short is being expanded into a feature for the Blair Witch revival with Peele and Raimi producing.
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Dylan Clark is rewriting a script originally written by Chris Thomas Devlin, signaling a fresh take while building on an existing draft.
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The original Blair Witch Project had a tiny budget of $35,000 and went on to gross about $248 million worldwide (roughly $492 million today), underscoring the property’s enduring profitability.
Lionsgate has set September 24, 2027, as the release date for a new Blair Witch Project film, the franchise's fourth theatrical entry. The studio confirmed the project via a cryptic social media video, with director Dylan Clark — a YouTube filmmaker — tapping into what he calls the terror of "a generation that is constantly being watched by their own technology," according to Variety.
The revival pairs Blumhouse and Atomic Monster with producers Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi. In a historic move, original 1999 stars Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams will serve as executive producers alongside original filmmakers Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick — a partnership hailed as a reckoning with the actors' long-disputed lack of residuals from a film that earned $248 million on a $35,000 budget, per Fangoria.
A YouTube Short Lands Dylan Clark the Job
Clark had no major studio credits before this project. His horror short Portrait of God went viral on YouTube in October 2025, surpassing 15 million views, according to Screen Crush. The short follows a religious scholar studying a painting that may show a literal depiction of God — a masterclass in unseen, psychological horror that caught the eye of Peele and Raimi.
Clark is now rewriting a script originally drafted by Chris Thomas Devlin. At the same time, Peele and Raimi are separately developing Portrait of God into a full feature film, making Clark one of the most closely watched new names in horror, per Fangoria.
Original Cast Returns After 25 Years of Disputes
Leonard and Williams spent years publicly criticizing how the original 1999 production handled their pay and likeness rights. Lionsgate entered negotiations with both actors in January 2026 following sustained pressure, according to Head Topics. Their executive producer credits are widely seen as a form of deferred justice.
Leonard addressed the deal on Instagram: "After 25 years of feeling like a footnote in our own story, this partnership feels like a meaningful step toward honoring what we built. We're here to protect the DNA of the woods." Original directors Sánchez and Myrick, who had criticized past sequels, also join as executive producers — a sign they trust Clark's vision.
The Plot Targets the Pre-Halloween Box Office Window
The new film centers on a family on a camping trip who disappear one by one after hearing strange noises in the woods. The September 24 date places it squarely in the lucrative pre-Halloween window. The only other wide release set for that date is an untitled DreamWorks animated film, per Head Topics.
Lionsgate Chair Adam Fogelson said: "We are thrilled to work with Jason [Blum] and James [Wan] to re-envision a horror classic that defined an era." Horror analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations told Variety that the film only needs to gross $30–$40 million to be a massive success, given Blumhouse's lean production model.
The 1999 Original Made $248 Million on $35,000
The Blair Witch Project premiered in July 1999 and grossed $248.6 million worldwide on a micro-budget of $35,000. Adjusted for inflation, that equals roughly $492 million in 2026 dollars, per Screen Crush. The film pioneered "found footage" as a genre and set the template for viral internet marketing.
Two sequels followed: Book of Shadows in 2000, which flopped critically and commercially, and Adam Wingard's Blair Witch in 2016, which grossed $45 million worldwide but failed to reignite the original's cultural impact. This 2027 entry is framed as a full reset — not a sequel — aimed at introducing the Blair Witch to a new generation, according to Fangoria.
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