Written by: Sam Santiago
Back in 1999, we spent part of the summer visiting our dad in Atascadero, California. One night, our stepbrothers invited us to the movies. No big deal, right?
Wrong.
That movie turned out to be The Blair Witch Project. Fifteen-year-old us walked into the theater expecting a fun horror flick and walked out convinced that camping was a terrible idea and that every stick snapping in the woods was probably the last thing we'd ever hear. (To be fair, we've since made peace with the outdoors. We actually love camping these days.)
But with news that a brand-new Blair Witch movie is headed our way in 2027, we're suddenly eyeing our hiking boots with a healthy amount of suspicion.
During a recent interview with IndieWire, Blumhouse founder Jason Blum revealed that both the next Blair Witch film and the upcoming Paranormal Activity project are currently expected to arrive next year. While an official release date hasn't been announced, that's the clearest indication yet that the legendary found footage franchise will return in 2027.
According to details previously reported by Dread Central, the new film will reportedly follow a family camping trip that turns into a nightmare as members of the group begin disappearing one by one after hearing strange sounds deep within the forest.
Sounds pretty familiar right?
The original Blair Witch Project became a cultural phenomenon in 1999 by convincing audiences they were watching recovered footage from three missing filmmakers investigating a local legend. We had friends legitimately thinking the actors were dead and the incidents in the movie were real. That was before ya have the major marketing wheelhouse we get today from most films. The result was one of the most profitable horror films ever made and a movie that permanently changed independent horror filmmaking.
The new installment will be directed by Dylan Clark, whose short film Portrait of God earned widespread attention online before landing him on Hollywood's radar. The project is being produced through the partnership between Lionsgate and Blumhouse, with horror heavyweight Roy Lee also producing.
Perhaps most encouraging for longtime fans is that several key figures behind the original film remain involved. Actors Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, along with creators Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale, are all attached as executive producers.
Whether this new chapter can recapture the terror that made audiences afraid of the woods more than 25 years ago remains to be seen. And we've grown up since 1999 so bring on your worst "Blair Witch", this time we're ready for ya in 2027.