So that the sequel can at least not f*ck up a one of kind franchise?
The Blair Witch Project grossed nearly $250 million worldwide (the budget was $200k-750k), making it one of the most profitable and successful indie films. It was credited with reviving the found-foot technique that influenced other successful horror films, like Paranormal Activity.
However, its sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was not only bombarded with negative critics but also only grossed a worldwide total of $47.7 million, while the budget was $15 million.
Don’t Turn a Project into a Book Shadow
Although there is no book shadow in the sequel, the title lost the original ingredient of a Blaire-witch taste of horror. The original started as a mockumentary based on some interviews with the locals and several mysterious rumors of deaths and missing.
Why not keep finishing this legendary mockumentary shot by people with comprehensive knowledge of the background, obtain the investigative evidence from the police, and make a goal of resolving or confirming the sinister unknown force in the forest?
Especially the main character, James (James McCune) was set as Heather’s (Heather Donahue) little brother, was obsessed with finding her sister’s death, and even thought Heather might still be alive.
He should be the guide to lead this exploration, recognize warning signs, or sense the message delivered by Heather’s spirit. He had the most impactful energy to go to the forest and could obtain all the information in his sister’s bedroom.
He should have watched his sister’s footage thousands of times and analyzed all the details to not make the same mistakes. While James acquired thorough and scientific research to prepare for the trip, the unexplainable incidents sabotaged his plans to carry out this adventure.
At least this sequel might be able to handle the franchise well with ultimate respect instead of making Blaire Witch become a confusing figure, lingering more trivial doubts inside horror fans’ hearts than horror.
Learn From the Original Crew
If the selling point of a horror movie’s sequel was featuring a horror fan group, could the budget of $15 billion be used to hire the original characters, three people in total, to be the mentors to all the actors and actresses about how to perform the anxiety of ‘trapping’ inside a malevolent forest, losing their companions, and receiving a tongue?
Especially James, you really should sit down and talk to your ‘sister.’
He was tracing Heather’s footprint to find out what really happened to her, shouldn’t he at least talk to Heather about how she behaved in ‘their’ family, and how he recalled her from a four-year-old memory (and we all know the imagination of the age was beyond anything) combined with all the research he had done after growing up?
Therefore, he could amplify his personality and fulfill the basic standard of being a lead character.
Without building a basic connection, no wonder the audience dismissed it as a sequel, and the acting and the scripts were superficial, muddy, and bulky.
Make the Old Faces Appear in Some Form
The acting of Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard breathed life into Blaire Witch Project, and the fear, frustration, and survival desperation were so real that some audience even got furious about being cheated after knowing that three of them were still alive and kicking.
They are the essence of this movie and their performing skills were must-take lessons for the performers who were horror fans of their encounters and tried to find an answer to the mysterious results.
With the participation of the original three characters, the director can have a splendid brainstorming discussion with the pivotal creators of The Blaire Witch Project.
- They could become grudging spirits with gruesome looks, imposing torture on the innocent thriller achievers.
- They could be vulnerable spirits confined by a real Blaire Witch but still try to give warnings to the people to leave the forest.
- Heather could regain a human side in her contaminated spirit after seeing her little brother, and use different ways to protect James and his companions from slaughtering by her late companions who were submissive to Blaire.
There are so many unpredictable great debates to make a sequel that can give a name to Blaire Witch as one of the most horror entities if the producers could invite all the original crews back on the stage.
