The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American psychological horror film written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. It is a "found footage" pseudodocumentary about three film students who hike into the Appalachian Mountains near Burkittsville, Maryland, to shoot a documentary about a local myth called the Blair Witch. The film was developed starting in 1993, with a largely improvised script and a low budget, and it became one of the most successful independent films of all time. It grossed nearly $250 million worldwide and is recognized as one of the scariest movies ever made. The film's fictional myth and marketing created a strong impact, blending documentary style and horror. It also launched a media franchise with sequels, novels, comics, and video games. The original film was released widely in 1999 after a successful Sundance Film Festival debut.
The plot follows the students as they investigate the local legend of the Blair Witch, encountering mysterious and terrifying events in the forest that lead to their disappearance, with the film presented as recovered footage from their cameras. There have been sequels and related media continuing the story, including a 2016 film Blair Witch, which serves as a direct sequel to the original, as well as video games expanding on the lore. A new installment in the franchise has been in development as of 2024.
