Apparently, there really is no stopping the curse of the “Blair Witch”.
Artisan Entertainment top dog Amir Malin told The Associated Press that the studio is going full force with a “Blair Witch Project” prequel — aka the third installment in the shaky-camera, little-film-that-could franchise.
The fate of a “Blair” prequel has been in jeopardy ever since “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2” — the franchise’s first sequel — became a critical bomb when it came out in October last year.
“Blair Witch 2” grossed $26 million domestically (mere peanuts compared to the original’s fairy tale $140 million plus take), the film still nonetheless made a profit given its mid-range budget of $15 million.
Plans for a prequel and a sequel were concurrently announced in summer 1999 after the huge success of the original “Blair Witch Project.” While the sequel — directed by documentarian Joe Berlinger — was delivered on schedule as Artisan had projected, the prequel has been quite a different matter entirely, hit by pushback after pushback.
According to AP, the prequel — which would revisit the legend of the Blair Witch behind the original film — would likely bow during Halloween 2002, and the studio plans to take more time on the prequel this time around.
But the delay might be due to scheduling conflicts with the prequel’s helmers, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the original masterminds behind “The Blair Witch Project.” Myrick and Sanchez had just finished up the romantic comedy “Heart of Love” (they had passed on doing “Blair Witch 2” to do this film), and Myrick has apparently signed on to helm another project called “Salvage,” which might clash with the making of the prequel.
The Blair Witch, meanwhile, watches and waits.
