Blair Witch director developing TV sequel with Host producer
Summit EntertainmentThe Blair Witch Project was a horror sensation back in 1999, while Host caused its own stir on streaming in 2020. Now the folk behind those found footage classics are trying to make a Blair Witch TV series.
Found footage phenomenon The Blair Witch Project is one of the most financially successful horror movies of all time, costing just a few hundred-thousand dollars, then grossing nearly $250 million worldwide.
It spawned a much-maligned sequel called Book of Shadows that was rushed into production a year later and quickly vanished without a trace. And a belated sequel called Blair Witch in 2016, which did modest business, but not enough for the franchise to continue.
Neither project involved Eduardo Sanchez however, who co-wrote and co-directed the original with his friend Daniel Myrick.
Recently however, Sanchez has been speaking with Jed Shepherd – producer and co-writer of terrifying seance horror Host – and the pair are hoping to make a Blair Witch TV series that would serve as a direct sequel.
Blair Witch show would pick up where 1999 movie left off
While speaking to Alex Zane on his ‘Trip to the Movies’ podcast, Shepherd revealed where the proposed project is at.
“We’ve talked a few times about this and again it depends on schedules and rights and things, but he has for the longest time wanted to do a Blair Witch TV show,” Shepherd explains. “He just needed the right collaborator. So then he asked me, I came along, and we’ve been talking about it.
“He has told me what the first – well the pilot episode – would be, and when he was telling me, I was almost in tears because it was just everything. It was so good.
“It starts the second the Blair Witch Project ends, and he’s already spoken to one main person [for] casting, and it’s one of the biggest stars around. And they want to do it. So if we just get our act together and then the people let us have the rights we’ll make this amazing TV show with a very big star.”
How does the original Blair Witch Project end?
SPOILER ALERT – as the show would start where the 1999 films ends, we’re going to detail that climax below, so click away if you don’t want it spoiled.
The Blair Witch project saw three documentary filmmakers – Heather, Mike, and Josh – heading into a forest in Burkittsville to search for the title character. At the end of the movie, Josh is missing, and Heather and Mike follow what sounds like his screams, coming from an abandoned shack. They enter the ruin and head down to the basement, where something causes Mike to drop his camera. An hysterical Heather picks it up, only to see Mike standing in the corner of the room in a manner similar to the child murders that were described to them earlier. Something then hits Heather, she drops the camera, and the film ends. Which is where this proposed series would therefore begin.
The full episode of ‘A Trip to the Movies with Alex Zane’ can be heard here. While I’ve previously spoken to Jed about his love for Blair Witch here, which suggests he might be the right person for the job.
