Blair Witch Project producer says we've been watching the wrong version of the iconic horror film for years
Aug. 26, 2024The correct version is coming this November
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The Blair Witch Project producer Mike Monello says we’ve been watching the wrong version of the hit horror movie for the last 25 years.
“In 1999, theatrical films didn’t originate on video, so there was no codified process for putting them out on video. So they did it like all films back then: They transferred the 35mm negative to video,” Monello explained viaTwitter. “Unfortunately, the 35mm negative is NOT the actual camera negative. As a result, the version released for all forms of home video is incorrect. The colors, the motion, the strange rounded corners, it didn’t look like a home video, and it didn’t look like film.”
A limited edition of the film that contains the correct version is being released on Blu-ray this November via Second Sight Films. Monello says this edition is the first time the movie has been “properly transferred and released in the way it was intended to be seen.” Because it’s being released in the UK as a Region B disc, however, your Blu-ray player needs to be able to play Region B discs – or no dice.
The first Blair Witch movie hit theaters in 1999 and was a massive success, grossing nearly $250 million against its modest, independent budget. The found footage horror saw a group of film students set out to produce a documentary about an urban legend known as the Blair Witch. The marketing methods were controversial –and the cast has since come out about unfair compensation and lack of royalties over the last 25 years.
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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent’s Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.
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