The Woods is Actually a Blair Witch Sequel, Watch the Trailer

At this year’s SDCC, fans expecting to see The Woods were surprised to instead witness the rebirth of a franchise many thought had been dead for years. No, not Sonic the Hedgehog. The Blair Witch is back and seemingly out of nowhere. Here’s a trailer.

Adam Wingard, one of the most promising young horror directors out there, has taken the wheel of this sequel. Interestingly enough, instead of just being a straight reboot (as is the popular thing to do), Blair Witch will act as a direct sequel to the events of The Blair Witch Project from 1999 and will focus on the brother of the female protagonist from that found footage movie trying to find her.

It’s pretty impressive that Lionsgate managed to pull an Abrams and keep this all under wraps. However, it looks like they might have decided to change the film during production, according to Wingard in an interview with EW:

 

“The Woods was our working title. When we signed on to it, we knew that [the name] was eventually going to be changed. To us, it wasn’t even going to be part of the marketing. But I think Lionsgate made a really smart decision, using that.”

 

Here’s the synopsis:

 

A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offer to act as guides through the dark and winding woods, but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.

 

If anyone can revitalise the Blair Witch series and make people afraid to go into the woods again, it’s probably the director of You’re Next and The Guest. Expect big hype when it’s released on September 16, 2016.