The September 16th release of the Adam Wingard-directed sequel BLAIR WITCH is bringing renewed interest in the BLAIR WITCH franchise sixteen years after the poorly received BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2. If THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT co-director Eduardo Sanchez gets his way, an extended cut of the original film might also be a part of this series resurgence.
During a recent appearance on the Found Footage Files podcast, Sanchez said
In a couple of weeks I could probably take the original movie and edit a longer version. I know the fans are like ‘everybody wants to see it’ … it would be cool to do, honestly. I wouldn’t hesitate to do that if Lionsgate Films hired me. I think it would a lot of fun.
Start a petition … if I can get enough interest from the fans, I can bring it to Lionsgate Films’ attention."
Sanchez would certainly have plenty of footage to work from in crafting this longer version, as the theatrical cut of the film was whittled down from 19 hours of footage.
Of course, the petition Sanchez suggested is now in full swing, with fans of the 1999 hit adding their names to the call for an extended edition. As of this writing, 859 people have shown their support for the idea, including PARANORMAL ACTIVITY director Oren Peli.
If a longer BLAIR WITCH PROJECT is something you would like to see, the petition can be found right here.