As sad as it may be, summer is quickly coming to a close. And with that, we are headed towards the beginning of fall, which just so happens to be Halloween season and Blair Witch aka The Woods is here. The theaters are getting ready to premiere Hollywood’s latest slew of horror-thrillers, hoping to satisfy the goose bump-needs of even the biggest scary movie fans.
Major movie studio Lionsgate is in the midst of hyping their upcoming feature film Blair Witch. The movie is intended to be the sequel to the 1999 cult classic The Blair Witch Project. The film is directed and written by the same team that was behind 2014’s The Guest, Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett respectively.
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The movie centers in on a group of college students who venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland. Hoping to uncover the secrets behind the disappearance of James Donahue’s sister Heather, the crew is pleased when a pair of locals offer to guide them through the dark, intricate woods. The group of students believe, like many, that Heather’s disappearance is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. Unfortunately, their journey takes a huge turn when they are visited by a relentless presence. Inevitably, they realize that the legend of the Blair Witch is more real and sinister than they had initially thought.
The movie stars a cast of young, up-and-coming actors and actresses. Georgia-born actor James McCune stars as James Donahue. Prior to starring in Blair Witch, James was featured on AMC’s hit show The Walking Dead as Beth’s short-lived boyfriend Jimmy. Actress Valorie Curry is also featured in the movie and is known for her previous role as Charlotte in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
While the film began to take shape back in February of 2015, the movie has been kept under wraps – with only a few Lionsgate employees being let in on the secret. Although the film has only been screened for a few early critics, it is already garnering a positive response. In fact, Eduardo Sanchez of the original The Blair Witch Project claimed that this modern take on the story is like turning the original “up to 11.”In a recent podcast on Found Footage Files, Sanchez explained, “It’s just full blast ‘Blair Witch.’ It’s really creepy, and the last third is just crazy. It’s just all over the place. It just does not let you go, you know? I’m really happy to have been a part of it…it kind of progresses the found-footage genre a little bit which I think is really cool…” Eduardo went on to add that the upcoming film is “really, really well grounded in the original.”
The trailer starts with James explaining to his college buddies that he strongly believes there is more to his sister’s disappearance than what lies on the surface. He tells them that if there is even the slightest chance that his sister is still out there, he wants to pursue all avenues that may lead to her. And with this sentiment, James ends up convincing several of his young friends to embark on a trip into Black Hills Forest.
Despite warnings stating that visitors to the Black Hills should leave before nightfall, the group decides to camp out and try and uncover as much as they can about James’ sister’s sudden disappearance. With the legend of the Blair Witch at the forefront of their minds, the group soon encounters strange occurrences that coincide with all of the tales they’ve been told about the Witch over the years. From tree branches being put into specific symbols to strange noises coming out of the barren trees, the young campers find themselves plagued by a sinister presence – one of which they can only assume to be that of the now infamous Blair Witch.
Like its predecessor, the Blair Witch employs the found-footage directing technique to add an extra element of realism to the suspenseful story. Combining the legend that is the basis for what is now one of the biggest cult horror films ever with the advances of film, screenwriting and acting, presents moviegoers with a film that has repeatedly been praised for its spine-tingling horror.
You can catch the Blair Witch when it hits theaters September 16th, 2016.