(Frequently Asked Questions)

If you don't want to know if the movie is real or not, don't read this page. Turn back now!

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Who made the movie?
The Blair Witch Project was made by Haxan Films and was picked up for distribution by Artisan Entertainment at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.

CAST AND CREW
Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard
Production Designer: Ben Rock
Art Director: Ricardo R. Moreno
Director of Photography: Neal Fredericks
Music: Tony Cora
Executive Producers: Bob Eick and Kevin Foxe
Co-Producer: Michael Monello
Producers: Gregg Hale and Robin Cowie
Written, Directed and Edited by Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez

Straight out, is the movie real?
I've had a lot of questions regarding this matter. TBWP is NOT real. All three of the students are very much alive and well.

Update 8/29/99: I've still had a lot of questions about this subject. The movie, the history, the legend, the evidence, EVERYTHING is fictional and was made up for the movie. The only parts of the movie that have any factual basis is that there is a town of Burkittsville, MD (which was never called Blair) and the three actors used their real names.

Update 11/8/04: Still over 5 years after the movie came out, there continues to be a question over the validity of the film. Let me say again, it's not real, it's just a movie. Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Micheal Williams have all continued working in the entertainment industry.

If it's not real, what about all the investigative footage? And the special on the SciFi Channel? And everything on BlairWitch.com?
It's all made up. Lots of work went into making the legend of the Blair Witch seem real. All of the archived film footage, old photos, police and FBI evidence, everything you see was fabricated for the support of the movie. If you watch the SciFi special Curse of the Blair Witch, all of the footage looks authentic. But watch the credits and you'll see that there were actors playing all of the parts except for interviews, which were improvised.
FYI: Tom Williams really is Mike Williams brother.

Is/was there really a Blair Witch or a legend?
No. The Blair Witch and her legend were invented for the movie.

Where are the Black Hills Forest and Coffin Rock?
Search on every map you can but you will never be able to find either because they don't exist. Like I said, EVERYTHING in this movie was fabricated. The only part of movie that has any factual basis is the existence of the town of Burkittsville, MD, which was never called Blair.

How did they film the movie?
The movie was shot over the course of eight days in Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland. First thing, Heather, Josh and Mike were given a crash course on how to use the film equipment. Can you think of another movie where the actors shot all the footage? They were sent into the woods with a GPS (global positioning system) so there was no chance of getting lost. In the mornings, they would receive a day's worth of supplies, the day's basic outline and directions to the next checkpoint.  On The Tonight Show Heather said when they received their supplies, each one of them had a piece of paper giving them the next days actions for their character. They were told not to share with the others what their paper said. As the filming progressed, the food rations were decreased, making the actors feel even more in character. There was no written dialogue; it was all improvised as they went along, one reason why the movie seems so authentic. The directors followed the actors throughout the entire shooting. At nights, they would make noises playing the part of 'the sound in the woods' and leaving strange things for a morning discovery.

Movie Production Timeline

October 1997: Unknown filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez begin production of The Blair Witch Project, with an initial budget of $35,000.

June 1998: Filmmakers launch the film's first Web site through its production company, Haxan Films, unfolding the legend of the Blair Witch as though it were authentic. A discussion board is set up on the Haxan.com site where filmmakers post the latest developments on the film.

July 1998: Filmmakers hold screenings of the unedited and unfinished film for college film students to get feedback.

January 1999: Artisan Entertainment acquires the film for $1 million at the Sundance Film Festival.

July 1999: A Web site launched by Artisan shortly after the purchase at www.blairwitch.com is rated the eighth most popular site among Internet users 12 to 17 years old, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

July 16, 1999: The movie opens at 27 theaters.

End of July 1999: Artisan commits up to $15 million for marketing and distribution of the movie and revamps www.blairwitch.com to make it episodic and constantly changing.

Today: The Blair Witch Project is already considered one of the greatest horror movies ever as well as a huge Hollywood hit and money maker.

How much did the movie cost to make?
The Blair Witch Project is destined to be the most profitable films in history. With the planned seven-year cycle of of the franchise, including the sequels, over $500 million in revenue, $150 million of it profit, is expected to be generated for it's distributor, Artisan Entertainment. Figures for TBWP:

Costs

Production: $450,000, including $30,000 production, $100,000 finishing costs, $320,000 for sound and color correction, 35-mm blowup
Acquisition fee: $1.1 million
Prints/advertising: $25 million

Estimated Revenues

U.S. theatrical: $150 million
Foreign theatrical: $50 million
U.S. home video: $60 million (6 million to 8 million units wholesale)
DVD: $6 million
Broadcast, cable: $35 million
Pay-per-view: $3 million to $5 million
License/merchandising: $7 million

Source: Industry estimates
LA Times 1999

If you've seen the movie and have more questions or just want to spoil it for yourself (but that's no fun!), you can go read the Spoilers.

[TBWP Homepage] [Update] [Review] [History] [Video Clips] [Pictures] [Links]
[Dossier] [FAQ] [Spoilers] [TBWP Guestbook] [Comments] [My Homepage]