Blair Witch cast asks for residual payments and demands consultation for new films

Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard It is michael williamsstars of Blair Witchclassic of the genre found footagewhich will be getting a new film soon, demanded retroactive and future payments for residuals from the film, for licensing for TV/streaming and production of reboots or continuations.

In an open letter, published on Facebook, the trio asked “payment of residuals for acting services on the original Blair Witch Project, equivalent to the amount that would be allocated by SAG-AFTRA [Sindicato de Atores de Hollywood]if we had union representation when we made the film”.

They also demanded that Lionsgate, which owns the rights to the franchise, consult with the actors, “in a meaningful way”when carrying out new productions that “come to use our names or faces, whether in promotional materials or on the product itself”.

“Our film has already been through two reboots, and both times the films were a disappointment from the point of view of fans, audiences and critics. Neither of these reboots had any creative involvement from the original team. Like the people who created Blair Witchand who have been listening to fans’ demands for 25 years, we may be the studio’s most valuable secret weapon.”they wrote.

Finally, Donahue, Leonard It is Williams called for the creation of an incentive fund to help filmmakers produce their debut film. The prize would be distributed annually, worth US$60,000, the same amount used to make Blair Witch. So far, Lionsgate has not commented on the demands.

In Blair Witch, released in 1999, three young filmmakers disappear when entering a forest in Maryland, in the northeast region of the United States, to investigate a local legend. Years later, the camera they used to record the film is found, revealing what happened to the group.

The film became a success, mainly due to the homemade aspect of the production – which led many people to believe that the events of the production were real -, and grossed almost US$250 million at the box office worldwide.

Due to the success, Blair Witch was revisited on two occasions: first in 2002, with Blair Witch 2: The Book of Shadowsand then in 2016, with Blair Witch. However, none of the sequels had the same success as the original film.

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