'The Blair Witch Project' Star Joshua Leonard Reacts to Reboot News Following '25 Years of Disrespect'

Joshua Leonard, who starred in the 1999 horror movie The Blair Witch Project, is speaking out about the upcoming reboot.

Despite its small $35,000 budget, the original Blair Witch Project went on to generate $249 million worldwide.

If you didn’t hear the news, Lionsgate and Blumhouse announced a remake of The Blair Witch Project on April 10 at CinemaCon.

Joshua took to social media on Thursday (April 11) to share his reaction to the news.

Keep reading to find out more…

In a lengthy Instagram post, the 48-year-old actor claimed that he and everyone who worked on the 1999 found-footage film were not adequately compensated.

“A Hollywood insider told the press that we (actors) were paid 4M dollars as a buyout for our ownership points, while in reality, we made 300k… and NEVER saw another dime,” Joshua wrote.

He continued, “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?”

Joshua concluded by expressing his appreciation for the film and emphasizing why he decided to speak out.

“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.”

In a follow-up post on Friday (April 12), he continued to explain his reasons for bringing the issue of compensation to light.

“TBH, I don’t know if we have a legal leg to stand on,” Joshua wrote. “Also, money isn’t the point! We signed contracts when we were kids, with no legal or union support. We were struggling artists, and the fact that we didn’t have to worry about food/rent for a while was as big a win as any of us could’ve dreamed of. I will never not be grateful to BWP for all the amazing stuff that came out of it.”

He added, “My issue isn’t legal… it’s about human decency. The age-old saga of not giving proper credit/respect to the people who make stuff in this world – the craftspeople off who’s backs corporations make their profits.”

There’s some news about the upcoming reboot of a very popular movie franchise!