Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, stars of the seminal horror film “The Blair Witch Project,” released a public letter to Lionsgate on Saturday asking for more robust compensation for their work on the 1999 blockbuster, as well as “meaningful consultation” on any future “Blair Witch” projects that use their names or likenesses.
The statement comes 10 days after Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced they plan to revive the franchise with a new movie that would provide, in the words of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, “new vision for ‘Blair Witch’ that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.”
Lionsgate did not produce or distribute the original 1999 film. It acquired the property through its 2003 buyout of independent film distributor Artisan Entertainment.
In 2002, the actors sued Artisan Entertainment for using their names and likenesses in the studio’s 2000 sequel, “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.”
Read the full story at Variety.com.
