The Blair Witch Project star Joshua Leonard has slammed Lionsgate over '25 years of disrespect' after it was announced a reboot of the iconic 1999 film is in the works.
Leonard, 48, who used his real name in the found-footage horror film, slammed Lionsgate on Instagramand accused the production company of ignoring his request for a charity screening of the film.
He wrote: 'GOING PUBLIC w/this and would appreciate the amplification!' with screenshots of the news featuring his and his costars' images.
'So, this is MY face on a press release for a film being made by two major studios - both I've worked for, both I respect,' he wrote. 'The WEIRD PART is that I didn't know anything about it until a friend sent me a "congrats"screenshot yesterday.
'My frustration is compounded b/c I've been trying to get @lionsgate to engage for over a month about a BWP charity screening I'm putting together for @opositivefest to raise money for artists without healthcare, and NO ONE will get back to me.
The Blair Witch Project star Joshua Leonard has slammed Lionsgate over '25 years of disrespect' after it was announced a reboot of the iconic 1999 film is in the works
Leonard said the announcement came after 'NO ONE will get back to me' at Lionsgate in his attempts to host a Blair Witch charity screening for O Positive Fest
'And yes, I’ve been thinking a lot about this time, after seeing my BWP collaborators recently and sharing memories… sweet AND f***ed-up ones,' added Leonard.
Written and directed by Daniel Myrick and EduardoSánchez, the movie followed three college filmmakers (Leonard, Heather Donahue and Michael Williams) into the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland as they investigated the local myth of the titular witch.
As the film was first marketed as a true story about three kids who went missing, its viral success led many to believe Leonard, Donahue, 49, and Williams, 50, had actually died.
Donahue evenhad to issue a statement to the New York Times that she was still alive after someone marked her as deceased on IMDb, negatively impacting her career.
Leonard went on to claim that after the movie's original distributor Artisan boasted about having 'the most profitable independent film ever,' they told the cast they 'were actually losing money from marketing expenses... so WE might wind up owing THEM $.'
The Blair Witch Project made $248 million worldwide on a $60,000 budget after Artisan bought the rights for less than $2 million.
And since they used their real names in the movie, Leonard wrote that 'the studio claimed copyright,' adding: 'We had to take them to federal court to win OUR NAMES back.'
Leonard explained that although it was previously reported that they were paid out $4 million dollars in the lawsuit, they only actually received $300,000 'and NEVER saw another dime.'
'After buying a car and paying off his student loans, Mike was back moving furniture within 12 months of the release, while still on magazine covers,' he added.
Leonard went on to claim that after the movie's original distributor Artisan boasted about having 'the most profitable independent film ever,' they told the cast they 'were actually losing money from marketing expenses... so WE might wind up owing THEM $'
And since they used their real names in the movie, Leonard wrote that 'the studio claimed copyright,' adding: 'We had to take them to federal court to win OUR NAMES back'
Leonard explained that although it was previously reported that they were paid out $4 million dollars in the lawsuit, they only actually received $300,000 'and NEVER saw another dime'
'There were many factors that made BWP a success: timing, marketing, etc. But there was also the FACT that us weirdos got together, with virtually no resources, AND MADE A FILM THAT WORKED! Can we just go on record and say that the film itself is a huge part of why we’re still talking about it 25 years later?'
Leonard continued, 'I'm so proud of our little punk-rock movie, and I LOVE the fans who keep the flames burning. But at this point, it’s 25 years of disrespect from the folks who've pocketed the lion’s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless.'
DailyMail.com has contacted Lionsgate for comment.
Donahue, who has changed her name to Rei Hance since making the movie, shared the post to her Instagram Story in support.
Williams also shared to his story, writing: 'Y'all wanna see some s***? @thejoshualeonard @reihance love you guys.'
Leonard's post comes after Blumhouse producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Halloween Ends, Five Nights at Freddy's) announced Wednesday at CinemaCon that he's teaming up with Lionsgate for a 'new generation' of the Blair Witch.
'It’s 25 years of disrespect from the folks who've pocketed the lion’s share (pun intended) of the profits from OUR work, and that feels both icky and classless,' added Leonard
Following an ill-received sequel from Artisan in 2000, Lionsgate released another sequel in 2016, which earned mixed reviews
'I'm a huge admirer of The Blair Witch Project, which brought the idea of found footage horror to mainstream audiences and became a true cultural phenomenon,' he said.
'I don't think there would have been a Paranormal Activity had there not first been a Blair Witch,' added Blum, 55. 'So, this feels like a truly special opportunity and I'm excited to see where it leads.'
It was followed byBook of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in 2000 which received negative reviews from critics and grossed a worldwide total of $47.7 million.
In 2016Blair Witch was released which follows John, the brother of Heather Donahue.
He decides to head back to Burkittsville, though this time the film was actually shot in Canada instead of Maryland, after discovering footage from the original film.
