25 years later, the actors of Blair Witch Project are still demanding money to match the film's record profits

25 years after its release, it is still considered one of the highest-grossing films in history. A pioneer in the “found footage” genre, editing of videotapes which appear to have been recovered, shot in eight days for 60,000 euros, the horror film The Blair Witch Project won over a large audience upon its release in 1999, accounting for nearly of 250 million dollars in revenue. Exceptional profitability: for one dollar invested, nearly 4,000 dollars collected...

After the announcement in recent days of a reboot by Adam Fogelson, boss of the production company Lionsgate, - holders of the rights since 2003 -, Rei Hance, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard, the actors of the original film, published Saturday 20 April an open letter addressed to the studios. They are demanding better compensation for their work in 1999, as well as “serious consultation on any future reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc..” by Blair Witch.”

The three actors who played the roles of Heather, Michael and Josh also point out the lack of union representation at the time the film was shot. As a result, they are demanding retroactive payments "equivalent to the amount that would have been allocated by SAG-AFTRA (editor's note), if we had had appropriate union or legal representation when the film was made."

The letter published by the three Americans finally calls for the creation of an annual grant of $60,000 for “beginning genre filmmakers, to help them make their first feature films.” The sum echoes the initial budget of the first film The Blair Witch Project.

The film, directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, made spectators tremble with fear at the end of the 1990s with its scenario as simple as it was effective. “In October 1994, three young filmmakers, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, disappeared while hiking in the Black Hill Forest while reporting on witchcraft. A year later, we found the film of their investigation. The Blair Witch Project follows the three filmmakers' harrowing journey through the Black Hills Forest and chronicles the terrifying events that took place there. To this day, the three filmmakers are still missing,” says the synopsis of the film. The original film then gave birth to several novels and comic books or video games.