Questions
Who made The Blair Witch Project and when did it come out?
It was created by directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. The film premiered at Sundance on January 23, 1999 and went into wider release on July 14, 1999.
Is it true the movie was made on a tiny budget?
Yes. It was shot for a reported $35,000 to $60,000, with post production pushing costs to somewhere between $200,000 and $750,000.
How much money did it make?
The film grossed about $248.6 million worldwide, over 4,000 times its original shooting budget, making it a historic sleeper hit.
Who starred in it?
Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, who played fictionalized versions of themselves using their real first names.
Did the actors improvise their lines?
They did. The screenplay was only 35 pages and deliberately minimal, so the actors improvised most of the dialogue throughout the shoot.
How did the directors guide the actors while filming?
Reportedly the actors were given clues to their next location through messages hidden inside 35 mm film cans left in milk crates they found using satellite navigation units.
Were the actors really scared and worn down on set?
Reportedly yes. Inspired by military training tactics, the directors moved the characters long distances during the day, harassed them at night, and deprived them of food to keep the fear authentic.
Where was it filmed?
The story is set in Burkittsville, Maryland, but most of the film was shot in Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, Maryland over eight days in October 1997.
What cameras were used for that raw home-video look?
Two formats were used. The found footage was shot on a Hi8 camcorder, while cinematographer Neal Fredericks used a CP-16 film camera for other footage.
Why did so many people think it was real?
A groundbreaking online marketing campaign listed the actors as missing or deceased and used fake police reports and posters. The website received a reported 160 million hits by August 1999, making it one of the first films marketed primarily online.
What is the Blair Witch legend in the film?
The fictional backstory involves Elly Kedward, a woman banished for witchcraft in 1785, and Rustin Parr, a 1940s hermit who reportedly murdered seven children. A companion mockumentary called Curse of the Blair Witch aired on July 12, 1999 to build the mythology.
How does the movie end?
The ending is deliberately ambiguous. Mike is found standing in a corner facing the wall, an unseen force strikes him, and then Heather is attacked as well before the camera cuts to black.
Did the actors get rich from the huge success?
No. The three actors reportedly lived in poverty afterward and in 2000 sued Artisan Entertainment, eventually settling for a reported $300,000 each. Heather Donahue later said she regretted using her real name because it limited her later casting.
Were there sequels?
Yes. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 arrived on October 27, 2000 and was poorly received, and a film simply titled Blair Witch was released on September 16, 2016.
What happened to the house from the final scene?
The historic Griggs House near Granite, Maryland was overwhelmed by fans taking souvenirs, and the township demolished it in December 1999.
