'The Blair Witch Project' Gets a Rightful Sequel; Top Secret Follow-up Revealed at Comic-Con 2016

"The Woods" Revealed to Be a Pseudonym Top-secret Sequel

By Tania Gutierrez, CP Contributor Tuesday, July 26, 2016

A delightful surprise met horror fans at the San Diego Comic-Con last weekend. It turned out that the upcoming found-footage horror film, "The Woods," is a direct sequel to the 1999 cult classic "The Blair Witch Project."

As fans and critics were let in on the secret during the screening, "The Woods" booth and promotion materials were changed to reflect the "Blair Witch" title. Will the sequel be able to inflict nightmares to its audience like the original did back in 1999?

The Original Blair Witch Project

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"The Blair Witch Project" is considered a pioneer in the horror genre. It was a certified blockbuster, earning $248 million at the box office on a $60,000 budget. It is one of the most successful independent movies of all time.

It is widely acknowledged as the first to use the found-footage movie technique, which paved the way for other successful films such as the Paranormal Activity franchise. Another thing credited to "The Blair Witch Project" is that it is the first movie to be mainly marketed on the internet for a wide release.

In 2000, a sequel titled "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" was released but to disappointing box office and critical results. It did away with the found-footage technique that made the original a big success that it was.

The Sequel

Basing on the trailer however, this year's sequel looks like it returned to the successful formula of the original. "Blair Witch" picks up from the events of the original. A man discovers a footage that shows his long-lost sister, Heather Donahue, who is the lead character of the original.

He and his friends set off to the Black Hills Forest to find out what happened to his sister. While there, they are visited by a malevolent presence.

Top Secret Filming

Filming of the "Blair Witch" was kept a secret with only a select few being made aware that it was a sequel. It was filmed in Canada last year and was marketed as "The Woods," another film using the found-footage technique. A trailer that was released used the pseudonym.

All the charade and mystery were lifted at the Comic-Con however. "Blair Witch" will be released on 16th of September this year.