In 1999, The Blair Witch Project became a cultural phenomenon when audiences believed they were watching real found footage of three film students who disappeared in the Maryland woods. But film directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez had actually just created one of the most successful marketing hoaxes in movie history, using fake missing person posters, a fake Sci-Fi Channel documentary, and the early internet to convince the world the Blair Witch was real. Made for just $60,000 with handheld cameras and improvising actors, it terrified audiences worldwide and earned nearly $250 million. But those actors - Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams - were barely paid, and as of 2025, are still trying to be fairly credited for their work.
We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's this:
The Blair Witch Project Wikipedia page - Complete film history and box office success
The New York Times retrospective - "How 'The Blair Witch Project' Changed Movies Forever" (2019)
The original Blair Witch website - The groundbreaking 1999 viral marketing site
Variety investigation - "'Blair Witch Project' Cast Says They Were 'Robbed' of Financial Success" (2024)
The Guardian coverage - Cast's fight for fair payment and residuals (2024)
The Hollywood Reporter - Cast demands retroactive residuals and consultation on future projects (2024)
Blair Witch official websites archive - Collection of original marketing websites
Ben Rock's articles - Behind-the-scenes insights from the film's production designer
Rewind podcast episode - "Believing in the Blair Witch" deep dive
Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Produced and hosted by Rosie Waterland. Produced and edited by James Joseph. Additional production support by Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley, along with Acast legends Guy Scott Wilson and Simon McDermott. Production Assistant: Pocket
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