Director of The Blair Witch Project wants to release an extended edition

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Extended editions usually come out along with a movie’s initial home video release— or within about a year of—in order to sell as many copies as possible. But how often do we get an extended edition of a movie that not only came out almost two decades ago, but also has become a cultural phenomenon in that time? Not often is the answer, but we very well could get one of the horror smash, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, courtesy of the film's director.

The news comes from director Eduardo Sanchez who spoke with Found Footage Critic, and brought up how he wants to release an extended cut of the 1999 hit. But seeing as how the movie is not his property, he would have to pass it by Lionsgate first:

“In a couple of weeks I could probably take the original movie [THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT] and edit a longer version. I know the fans are like ‘everybody wants to see it’ . . . it would be cool to do, honestly. I wouldn’t hesitate to do that if Lionsgate Films hired me. I think it would a lot of fun. Start a petition . . . if I can get enough interest from the fans, I can bring it to Lionsgate Films’ attention.”

The original movie was only about 90 minutes, but around 19 hours of raw footage was shot that has yet to see the light of day. Sanchez wants to take some of those extra goodies and add it to create a longer version. This would excite many fans of the original who have been dying to see said footage for years.

Of course, this whole deal would depend entirely on the studio, which may not want to put out an extended version despite the number of signatures the petition gets. However, with the sequel meeting rave reviews leading up to what could be big box office numbers, an extended cut coming out alongside the Blu-ray release of the new movie could generate a lot of interest (special edition combo pack, perhaps?).

Extended editions may not always be better, but at the very least they always generate interest. Seeing how different the movie could be always leaves a curious little tingle in the mind of a movie buff—whether they liked the original cut or not—even to the point where they would shell out hard-earned cash to see the new version. If you’re one of those folks, you can sign the petition using the link of the original source, and get us one step closer to this new version of the horror classic. Or don't sign it if you think the original is perfect as is. Let the comment section debates commence!

The sequel, BLAIR WITCH, hits theaters September 16.