The Blair Witch Project: Oliver Park to direct the new film?

A year has passed since Jeff Sneider of The Ankler reported that he had heard Lionsgate is interested in returning to the world of the 1999 hit The Blair Witch Project (watch it HERE). Now a Production Weekly listing indicates that Lionsgate has found the filmmaker they want to take the helm of the new Blair Witch movie: Oliver Park, who previously directed the 2022 horror film The Offering, contributed to the anthology A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio, and directed an episode of the show Strange Events.

Written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, the original The Blair Witch Project has the following synopsis: Found video footage tells the tale of three film students who’ve traveled to a small town to collect documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer. Over the course of several days, the students interview townspeople and gather clues to support the tale’s veracity. But the project takes a frightening turn when the students lose their way in the woods and begin hearing horrific noises.

According to Production Weekly, Myrick and Sánchez will be producing the “untitled Blair Witch sequel” through their company Haxan Films. Filming is expected to take place later this year, in either the late summer or early fall. Plot details are, of course, not available.

Since Lionsgate hasn’t officially announced that a new Blair Witch movie is happening or that Oliver Park is directing it, we can’t take this as a sure thing just yet. But a Production Weekly listing is a good indication that it’s in the works.

Are you interested in seeing another movie set in the world of The Blair Witch Project? Have you seen Park’s previous work, and do you think he’s an ideal choice for such a project? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The Blair Witch Project was followed by the poorly received Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in 2000 and the 2016 follow-up Blair Witch, which didn’t seem to make much of an impact at all. My interest in any new Blair Witch stories sputtered out around twenty years ago, so I can’t say I’m hyped to see what becomes of this “untitled Blair Witch sequel”.