Blair Witch Project Remake Hires Notable Horror YouTuber as Director

At CinemaCon 2024, it was revealed that a remake of the iconic 1999 horror film The Blair Witch Project is in the works, a movie that not only sparked a surge of found-footage horror but also revolutionized viral marketing. While details remain sparse, the studios have promised a “new take” on the franchise. Fast forward two years, and the director for this fresh vision has been announced: Dylan Clark, a first-time feature filmmaker who has garnered a significant following for his short horror films on YouTube.

Clark joins a growing trend of popular YouTubers transitioning to theatrical films. Earlier this year, game streamer Mark Fischbach made waves with his chilling debut feature Iron Lung, bypassing traditional studio routes. Meanwhile, A24 has backed Ian Tuason, a VR filmmaker making his feature debut with Undertone, who is also set to reboot the Paranormal Activity series for Blumhouse. Additionally, A24’s upcoming project Backrooms, inspired by a well-known creepypasta, was directed by 17-year-old Kane Parsons, recognized for his Backrooms web videos.

This trend mirrors the long-standing practice in traditional publishing, where popular online works, like Andy Weir’s The Martian and Hugh Howey’s Silo series, are often selected for print releases. A24 and Blumhouse have been particularly attentive to content creators who not only produce unique work but also cultivate their own audiences.

Before this announcement, Clark was already engaged with another project at Universal, which signed him to expand his seven-minute short horror film Portrait of God into a full-length feature. This short has racked up over 9 million views on YouTube, with Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele on board as producers.

For fans of the original Blair Witch Project, there’s more good news: two of the original cast members, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, along with the original filmmakers Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale, will serve as executive producers on the new film. This is particularly noteworthy since Myrick and Sánchez had previously voiced their concerns about the remake in 2024, feeling sidelined by Lionsgate’s decision to continue the franchise without their input. While it’s uncertain how much influence they will have on the new project, at least they are not being completely excluded.

As of now, no release timeline has been set for the new Blair Witch movie, which is still in development.