The Blair Witch Project, a found-footage horror film written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, has become a firm cult classic since its release in 1999. Inspiring filmmakers for decades to come, it made for a lightning-in-a-bottle scenario that will likely never be truly replicated. Starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams, the movie follows three film students investigating the local legend of the Blair Witch. Unfortunately, for purists of the genre, viewing The Blair Witch Project in its proper form has been impossible for a long, long time.
For context, it's best to let producer Mike Monello explain it himself: "In 1999, theatrical films didn't originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video," Monello revealed on his X account. "So they did it like all films back then: They transferred the 35mm negative to video. Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is not the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect. The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn't look like a home video, and it didn't look like film." If you've ever operated a camera of that era, you likely know exactly the aesthetic Monello references. Some styles cannot be artificially replicated. However, there's cause to tepidly rejoice, for an official copy presenting The Blair Witch Project in its true, original form finally exists.
How Can You Watch 'The Blair Witch Project' in the Original Intended Version?
Image via Artisan Entertainment
Second Sight Films in the UK released a limited-edition 2-disc Blu-ray set that captures "the true look we wanted 25 years ago," Monello said. Here's the thing, though: it's almost impossible to get your hands on. For one, the release was for "Region B" copies, meaning it only worked on specific players (namely throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand). Region B or "Region-free" players can be obtained outside their usual areas, but they can be extremely pricey in places like the United States. Moreover, the limited edition from Second Sight Films is already out of print, and listed copies go for upwards of $270-$300+ on eBay.
The 'Blair Witch' Franchise Has Been Out of the Original Creators' Hands For Some Time
Image via Artisan Entertainment.
These creatives and this cast have been through a lot in the decades since its release — at least, more than you'd expect for a small team of such a massive phenomenon. It's been regarded as a financial nightmare for its stars, who were not protected by the SAG-AFTRA union. Lionsgate owns the intellectual property rights, and the cast has spoken up about their exclusion from profits in continued sales, sequels, and reboots. Blumhouse is still developing future projects for the franchise, which has already seen sequels with Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and Adam Wingard's Blair Witch.
In 1999, this found footage film became a phenomenon. Its climax scared some, but confused others.
In 2024, actors Donahue, Leonard, and Williams released a joint statement on Leonard's social media, calling for several actionable forms of reconciliation between them and Lionsgate. Alongside requests for retroactive and future residual payments "to the sum that would've been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made," the cast called for Lionsgate to institute a $60,000 yearly grant allotted to aspiring genre filmmakers. The grant would match their film's original budget and assist in developing the first features for creatives who are in the shoes they once filled.
The Blair Witch Project forever changed, bolstered, and emboldened the genre. Before the internet became what it is today, this film tapped into a form of virality that morphed the legend of the Blair Witch into a real-world myth in and of itself. It deserves a new life in its proper form. At the very least, the mere hope that now exists, thanks to the limited release from Second Sight Films, is enough for fans to hold onto. Monello has even resorted to encouraging fans to lobby Lionsgate to make a wide release of the proper version. "I hope this version becomes the definitive version that shows up on streaming," he said in the aforementioned X thread, even noting that streaming services currently offer the film "in the wrong aspect ratio, no less!" Leave it to The Blair Witch Project to still conjure a mysterious aura, even decades later.
The Blair Witch Project is available to stream on Starz in the U.S.
Image via Artisan Entertainment
Image via Artisan Entertainment
Image via Artisan Entertainment.
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