Big shock there, right? A decade after the release of "The Blair Witch Project," we have director Oren Peli's found-footage supernatural thriller "Paranormal Activity" setting Hollywood ablaze with an record setting box office performance in comparison to its miniscule, sub-$15,000 budget. So it's no wonder that the "Blair Witch" creators, in many ways the progenitors of this sort of phenomenon, are looking to bring it back home to their original success story.

We heard back in August from co-directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick that "Blair Witch 3" talk was happening, but Sanchez spoke to The Star last week a little more about how those talks are shaping up so far (via Latino Review). Read more...

Halloween is on Saturday. Most of you probably know this already. What you may not know is that we've got a full week of crazy Halloween coverage for you here on MTV Movies Blog. Exclusive clips and photos. Interviews. Lists. Blog posts from guest writer (and "The Box director) Richard Kelly. Perhaps even a virgin sacrifice or two, provided we can find some willing readers. Note to willing readers: you can volunteer your immortal soul to us at tips@mtvmoviesblog.com.

The week's festivities include daily lists of kickass movies to watch on or around Halloween. I know what you're thinking. "You guys always post lists on the Movies Blog." Well yes, that's very true. But these lists were picked by celebrities! People who understand what real fear is. First up for the week is Oren Peli, director of the hugely successful "Paranormal Activity." Since he's been so busy scaring us all, look at this as an opportunity to find out what scares him. Find the goods after the jump. Read more...

--Eli Roth, who recently starred alongside Brad Pitt in "Inglourious Basterds," is certainly keeping busy. Speaking in Mexico at the Morelia Film Festival, Roth revealed that he'll soon be showing "Cotton" to the Sundance team for a potential January 2010 festival premiere and that he's currently busy developing scripts for sci-fi project "Endangered Species" and "Grindhouse" tie-in "Thanksgiving." (Variety)

--We already reported on this last week, but it looks like Oren Peli's "Paranormal Activity" found footage follow-up, "Area 51," will land in front of cameras next week. (via press release; check out Variety for additional details) Read more...

A horror movie is made by a young and unknown creator. It is shot on digital video, in a style intentionally giving the impression that the movie’s principal characters are the ones filming, not a director. The characters are played by unknown actors. They’re threatened by a supernatural, largely unseen force. The film plays before small audiences on the festival circuit, gaining praise and infamy with each screening.

If you stop right there, you could be describing either “Paranormal Acivity,” which Paramount is giving a limited release this week, or “The Blair Witch Project.” What remains to be seen is whether or not “Paranormal Acivity” will be the runaway multi-million dollar success that “Blair Witch” was ten years ago. It also remains to be seen if it will be a revitalizing force for its genre in the same way. Read more...

It’s been ten years since “The Blair Witch Project” exploded onto movie screens and into the pop culture history books. Yet as big a phenomenon as that groundbreaking and highly influential horror film was, writer/directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick have failed to follow it in the past decade with something equally compelling. The pair spoke to BBC News recently about the film’s anniversary -- it opened in the UK in October 1999 -- and they mentioned plans for another sequel to their hit debut.

Could a “Blair Witch 3” bring the duo back into the limelight though? Sanchez and Myrick received executive producer credit on the very disappointing sequel “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” but they can’t be blamed for how bad that installment turned out. Perhaps they have some good ideas for what to do with a third film? Read more...

It's a relatively quiet day Around the Blogosphere, but I guess that is to be expected with San Diego Comic-Con now in full swing. There have been a lot of exciting happenings IN the office today. Emmanuelle Chriqui -- ie Sloan from "Entourage" -- was a guest on "It's On With Alexa Chung" today, and it caused quite a stir in the newsroom as people rushed downstairs to gawk.

We also debuted the awesome "Ninja Assassin" trailer this morning. Exclusive or not, I'm a sucker for slickly produced martial arts action and that's exactly what the trailer delivers. But then, I would expect no less from the Wachowski Brothers/Joel Silver production team. What else is popping out there you ask? Keep reading to know the score. Read more...

I had planned to write this up earlier today. Since there hasn't been a huge crush of missed news today, I figured I'd supplement today's issue of The Dailies with a look back at "The Blair Witch Project," which turns 10 today.

The "official" look back is done, as is the obligatory spin-off list (Movies That Make You Reach For The Dramamine). What's been missing is the personal recollection, and I'm here to rectify that now. See, I was totally taken in by the viral campaign leading into the "Blair Witch" release. When it finally came to the Anjelika in New York City, I headed into the city to see what this crazy footage was all about. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Read more...

FROM MTV.COM: "We really had no idea what we were doing," said "Blair Witch Project" co-director Daniel Myrick to MTV News in June 1999, little more than a month before his indie horror film swept into theaters, scared up $250 million at the worldwide box office and set a trend of online viral marketing that is still being followed today.

Myrick and his collaborators might not have had a clue what they were up to, but years later, on Tuesday's (July 14) 10-year anniversary of the flick's theatrical release, "Blair Witch" has become an undeniable classic of the horror genre. Not that any of the key players, even to this day, know exactly how to deal with such recognition for past accomplishments.

Continue reading 'Blair Witch Project' Cast And Crew Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary

It's been ten years since "The Blair Witch Project" crept its way into the national consciousness. The movie, which follows three students making a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch, managed to hit the sweet spot of viral marketing and word-of-mouth buzz through an extensive online campaign that had movie fans scratching their heads over whether or not the footage was real.

In fact, writer/directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez went to great lengths to convince investors, and eventually potential viewers, that their movie was a documentary. They did so through the use of cleverly staged "found" footage and an extensive back story. In the end, "The Blair Witch Project" was such an effective horror movie because of what it didn't show -- and because the use of unsteady handheld cameras often left audience members feeling dizzy and nauseated. So whether shaky camera work is used or abused in the name of art, shock, shlock or gore, I salute the following flicks for making me reach for the Dramamine instead of the remote. Read more...