Days after Lionsgate announced it will be rebooting The Blair Witch Project, the three people who starred in the micro-budgeted film — only to see it become a blockbuster — are speaking out.
Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams and Rei Hance née Heather Donoghue played, respectively, Josh, Mike and Heather in the 1999 “found footage” horror film. Because they were not SAG-AFTRA members when the film was shot, they say they’ve never received residuals from the movie, which went on to make nearly $250 million worldwide.
To that end, they’ve issued a joint statement to Lionsgate, the studio that now owns the franchise rights, to implore them to do what’s right.
The trio is asking for “[r]etroactive + future residual payments … equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.”
They’re also asking to be allowed to provide “meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch [project or product]” … provided their “names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes.”
Indeed, photos of Leonard and Donoghue appeared in press coverage about the new project; toys bearing their legal names have been sold over the years.
Blair Witch Project directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez released their own statement, co-signed by the original film’s producers, backing up the trio.
“While we … respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast.” They called the actors “the literal faces of what has become a franchise.”
Hance said “a 1.5 page contract for $1k signed without an attorney or agent when I was 23” effectively meant “a lifetime of theft of my fundamental belongings—my name, image, and voice.”
She added, “It’s been 25 years. Enough.”
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Dabney Coleman, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Tootsie’ star, dead at 92
May 17, 2024
CBS via Getty ImagesDabney Coleman, best known for his role as the sexist boss of Dolly Parton,…
Music notes: Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and more
May 17, 2024
Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, SOUR, just hit a major milestone. It's now the all-time…
Hear Miley Cyrus sing Talking Heads, Demi Lovato sing The Temptations
May 17, 2024
A24Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato are two artists who can pretty much sing anything, and they both…
Laura Dern, Margaret Qualley to star in series adaptation of ‘Forever, Interrupted’
May 17, 2024
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesLaura Dern and Margaret Qualley are…
‘Young Sheldon’ goes out with a big bang: series finale hits four-year audience high
May 17, 2024
Robert Voets/2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.It’s no theory – Young Sheldon went out with a big…
New Music Friday: Bebe Rexha, Dinah Jane, NKOTB and more
May 17, 2024
Bebe Rexha is back with a new single, "Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)," which also has a video to go with…
Report: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stayed in $21,000 per night Italian villa
May 17, 2024
Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights ManagementTaylor Swift had a few days off before her…