Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed (2024)

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The House of Blum is making a massive horror land grab, which includes a bunch of franchises, remakes and sequels.

Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed (1)By Rosie Fletcher | |

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Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed (2)

Under $5 million; no first time directors (unless there’s a named producer); actually good. These used to be the tenets by which Blumhouse built its name. But oh how things have changed. It’s looking increasingly like the little studio that could is making a land grab for virtually every property in horror-dom.

The latest trailer to drop from Blumhouse is for Speak No Evil, a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name which caused a big buzz when it hit Shudder for being so utterly and depressingly grim. Blumhouse snapped it up and cast James McAvoy, star of Blumhouse movies Split and Glass, as the central psycho. James Waktins who made similarly nasty and misanthropic horror Eden Lake has directed and the film is set to release in September. That is a pretty speedy turnaround as these things go, but Blumhouse always was agile. McAvoy is good but when was the last time you heard anyone say “the American remake was better”? Speak No Evil will be distributed via Universal which has an ongoing deal with Blumhouse.

Then there’s the news that Blumhouse has now struck a multi-film deal with Lionsgate after working with them on Imaginary. The new deal will begin with another Blair Witch movie. The original was a low budget masterpiece released in 1999 and spawned a sequel in 2001 and a reboot (which was also a sequel) in 2016. So we’re getting more Blair Witch. It’s not clear what else might be included in the deal, but Lionsgate has already expressed interest in rebooting American Psycho and The Dead Zone.

Meanwhile Blumhouse is already rebooting various Universal monsters—-we’ve had the Invisible Man, and Wolfman is next. It’s already done Halloween and The Exorcist. A reboot of The Thing has long been rumored. And earlier in the year a merger was announced between Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster, which means Blumhouse is now partnered with the minds behind the Conjuring Universe too.

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Our deal is …. Done. @blumhouse and #AtomicMonster have officially joined forces.

The preeminent homes for horror are now under one roof pic.twitter.com/xtLlFRVdOR

— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) January 2, 2024

“I look at myself more as an entrepreneur than a producer,” Blum said while describing himself to Den of Geek back in March 2020 when The Invisible Man was about to hit cinemas (little did we know what was about to happen). He, like everyone, has had to pivot, though Blumhouse is fast becoming the Disney of horror franchises. Sony has 28 Years Later upcoming. Paramount has A Quiet Place: Day One incoming. The First Omen was Disney (and is actually good, so you can keep your paws off that one Blum!) while Radio Silence’s Abigail, distributed by Universal, is both original and great. And of course we still have A24, thank goodness. But Blumhouse really does have the lion’s share.

After some good years of original horror, many of which Blumhouse was behind including Insidious, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and of course the magnificent Get Out, we find ourselves drifting into 2000s era Platinum Dunes territory where every ’70s and ‘80s franchise was being remade, and largely speaking, badly. This was also the era when U.S. remakes of J-horror movies were rife and most of the original horror titles were found footage clones of other better movies. While the horror genre seems more popular and respected than ever, it has not been immune to chasing the perceived stability of intellectual property

Blumhouse was a breath of fresh air in the 2000s proving original, creator lead horror was not only popular and profitable but could also be genuinely excellent – Blum’s a man that loves the genre. But the latter two Halloween films were cynical nonsense and the Exorcist prequel was rubbish. Jason Blum is not Michael Bay. But the way things are going it’s possible the house of Blum will create a horror franchise monster, not far from the one it thwarted in the 2000s.

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Tags: BlumhouseHorrorJason BlumThe Blair Witch Project

Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed (3)

Written by

Rosie Fletcher

Rosie Fletcher is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Den Of Geek. She’s been an entertainment journalist for more than 15 years previously working at DVD & Blu-ray Review, Digital…

Read more from Rosie Fletcher

Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed (2024)

FAQs

Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed? ›

Speak No Evil and Blair Witch Project Remakes: Blumhouse Risks Repeating the Horror Genre Mistakes It Once Fixed - IMDb. Under $5 million; no first time directors (unless there's a named producer); actually good. These used to be the tenets by which Blumhouse built its name.

How many F words are in The Blair Witch Project? ›

However, this movie is extremely heavy in terms of cursing, boasting a massive total 152 f-bombs in addition to some less offensive words. Extreme yelling between the frustrated characters occurs often, and disturbing noises during night accompanied by starvation and implied insanity convey an aura of uneasiness.

Why do people think The Blair Witch Project is scary? ›

The found footage in this movie feels way too real, the way the camera moves as Heather runs for her life screaming, as the Josh and Mike panic in their own ways is so terrifying, the fear of the characters is portrayed so well.

Was Blair Witch Project based on a true story? ›

The backstory for the film is a legend fabricated by Sánchez and Myrick which is detailed in the Curse of the Blair Witch, a mockumentary broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel on July 12, 1999. Sánchez and Myrick also maintain a website which adds further details to the legend.

What films were inspired by The Blair Witch Project? ›

15 Movies Inspired By The Blair Witch Project
  • THE DARK KNIGHT. Okay, it's sort of far-fetched to claim that The Dark Knight was directly inspired by The Blair Witch Project. ...
  • WILLOW CREEK. ...
  • V/H/S. ...
  • EUROPA REPORT. ...
  • RESOLUTION. ...
  • THE LAST EXORCISM. ...
  • [REC] ...
  • TROLL HUNTER.
Sep 16, 2016

How many f-words are in PG-13? ›

Using the F-word in PG-13/12A movies - IMDb. The restrictions set by the Us ratings board mean the F-word can only be used once in a PG-13 movie.

Who has said the most F-words in movies? ›

It's Joe Pesci, who's said the F-word 272 times in his various movies. But check this out: 241 of those were from a single movie: “Casino”.

Is there a Jumpscare in Blair Witch Project? ›

The film begins fairly unremarkably but then builds a sustained and intense sense of threat. Not for sensitive viewers. Moderate to strong horror and some jump scares throughout involving the main characters being lost in the woods and presumably stalked.

Did people think The Blair Witch Project was real when it came out? ›

People can't believe film fans thought the Blair Witch Project was real. The Blair Witch Project remains one of the most influential horror films ever made, but despite its significance to the genre people can't quite believe how it was received at the time.

Who was screaming in The Blair Witch Project? ›

The film then switches to Heather's own camera, as she screams in pure terror, trying to find everyone. She then enters the basem*nt and finds Mike standing in the corner, facing the wall, completely motionless. Heather screams, “Mike!” but as she gets closer, she too is knocked down by an unseen force.

Who is the Blair Witch in mythology? ›

The Blair Witch, Elly Kedward, terrorized the town of Blair, now Burkittsville, during the late 1700's and was executed for her crimes. The following year, her accusers as well as many of the town's children disappeared without explanation, and as a result the town was abandoned.

What does the Blair Witch do to her victims? ›

Her habit of stalking and tormenting her prey for days prior to killing them (often through extremely brutal, drawn-out methods) proves that she is a sad*st, though the fact that she spared Heather for last has been used to support the theory that she also has a code of conduct requiring a very specific pattern of ...

Did anyone survive The Blair Witch Project movie? ›

What happened at the end of Blair Witch? The film ends with the two remaining survivors, James and Lisa, stumbling across the house from the end of the original "The Blair Witch Project," the Rustin Parr house. Inside, Lisa comes across Lane, who is visibly older than earlier in the film.

What made Blair Witch Project so popular? ›

Recent News. The Blair Witch Project, American horror film, released in 1999, that popularized “found footage”—a cinematic technique in which some or all of a narrative film's shots are presented as if they were recordings of nonfiction events.

What horror movie is like the Blair Witch? ›

“Paranormal Activity” (2007)

Like “Blair Witch,” the film was eye-popping enough in a festival environment to garner Hollywood attention, though it was originally believed that Peli would simply remake the film for a bigger operation.

What forest is The Blair Witch Project based on? ›

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

In the Black Hills forest near Burkittsville, Maryland, many children had vanished in the 1940s and people still avoid going too deep into the woods. The party sets out to look for facts that prove the legend, equipped only with two cameras and a little hiking gear.

How many F-words are in Scream 4? ›

Crude or Profane Language

More than 40 uses of the f-word and nearly 20 of the s-word—not counting what might be said in the film's profane soundtrack.

How many F-words are in Scream 3? ›

Profanity (2)

Moderate. 28 F-words, a profane finger gesture, 14 anatomical references, 19 scatological references, 17 mild obscenities and some insults.

What movie has the most cuss words? ›

Movies with most swear words
  • The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese) - 715.
  • Uncut Gems (Safdie Brothers) - 646.
  • Casino (Martin Scorsese) - 606.
  • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Kevin Smith) - 509.
  • Fury (David Ayer) - 489.
  • Straight Outta Compton (F. ...
  • Summer of Sam (Spike Lee) - 467.
  • Nil by Mouth (Gary Oldman) - 432.
Feb 6, 2023

How many f-words are in Scarface? ›

'F*ck' is said 207 times, including paired with the word 'mother' and used in a sexual context. 'Wh*re' is said at least once.

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