Blair Witch Project theory says movie actually showed the witch, we just missed it
A fan theory about The Blair Witch Project suggests that the identity of the witch may have been revealed in the film all along... it's just that none of us noticed it.
Released back in 1999, The Blair Witch Project was a creepy found-footage horror film which has since grossed nearly $248.6 million (£182 million) worldwide and become a cult classic of the genre, later spawning two sequels in 2000 and 2016.
And now, with a new Blair Witch movie officially on the way, fans could soon have another chance to delve into the mystery.
Blumhouse boss Jason Blum recently confirmed to Indiewire that the franchise will return in 2027, alongside another Paranormal Activity movie.
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Speaking to the outlet, he said: "They're both coming out next year. Blair Witch and Paranormal [Activity]."
But before we get into what the new film could have in store, it's worth going back to where it all began.
The original film follows the story of young filmmakers Josh, Heather and Mike, pursuing an ambitious project to uncover the story of a local legend known as the 'Blair Witch'.
After arriving on location in Burkittsville, Maryland, the trio is warned against the project by local townsfolk but continues their investigation regardless and heads into the nearby Black Hills Forest.
Once inside the forest things go drastically wrong for Heather, Josh and Mike, with the film ending with what appears to be the trio's deaths and the true identity of the Blair Witch unsolved.
But while fans have spent years coming up with theories about what really happened the three filmmakers, one Reddit user reckons they may have worked out who was behind it all.
Sharing their theory, the user claimed the witch was actually the elderly woman named Mary Brown, who reveals that she'd seen the Blair Witch during an interview with Heather early on in the film.
"I think that the crazy shut in woman who claimed to have seen the witch as a child was in fact the witch all along," the user suggests. "It is clearly shown that she is mentally unstable during the interview and while in the car Heather mentions that she also made several other ridiculous claims that seem to boast her self perceived fame"
The user goes on to suggest that Mary decided to manipulate the group.
"When hearing about how these kids are investigating the legend she decides to use them as a way to finally get her recognition, something she does by stalking, terrorising, and murdering them in the woods," the post continues.
"She then is the one who collected the tapes and turned them into the police so that she could finally be seen in the spotlight and also prove to everyone that she is not crazy."
The theory has since sparked plenty of debate, with one person noting how the gate leading to her trailer resembles the stick men which the group later find in the trees.
However, not everyone was convinced by the idea, with one person debunking the idea by pointing out how the group's filming equipment was found by students years later.
Another user suggested that time travel was to blame for the trio's demise, with one person writing: "They went back in time, back to when the woods were a lot larger. They were killed by Rustin Parr, not Mary Brown or anyone else.
"This would explain why the search party searched the entire woods twice and found absolutely zero trace of them even though they were still alive when they were searching. It's a little far fetched but it makes sense.
"The house still standing even though it was burnt down 60+ years ago isn't a plot hole."
With the franchise now preparing to head back into the woods, there's a chance fans could soon have even more evidence to speculate about.
The upcoming Blair Witch movie will, according to Deadline, follow 'a family that goes on a camping trip but goes missing one by one after they hear strange noises in the forest.'
It's not yet clear exactly how this story will connect to the original, but it seems the creative team behind the sequel are keen to keep the unsettling atmosphere that made the first film such a hit - and hopefully give us a few more about who, or what, the Blair Witch really is.
Topics: Entertainment, Film, Reddit
Brenna Cooper