The Blair Witch Project is officially coming back next month. Lionsgate Limited is releasing a Definitive Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and a special VHS “Be Kind, Rewind” edition of the 1999 found-footage horror classic on October 13, 2026. Pre-orders are live now.
What Is Included in the New Blu-ray Release
The Definitive Collector’s Edition is a 2-disc Blu-ray set that brings three versions of the film together for the first time in the United States. The filmmaker-approved 2024 theatrical cut and the festival cut have been restored from the original Hi8 videotapes and 16mm film elements. These restored versions were previously released in the UK by Second Sight in 2024, but this marks their official debut in America. The set also includes the original-release version of the film.
The physical package is designed for collectors. It comes with new cover art, a new poster by illustrator Ken Taylor, and a 104-page booklet. Inside the booklet, readers will find the original production journal, a raw footage log, a prop list with handwritten notes, and other behind-the-scenes material.
The Blu-ray set is priced at $39.99, which is a discount from its original list price of $49.99. It is available exclusively through Lionsgate Limited’s website.
A VHS Release That Brings Back the 1990s
The VHS “Be Kind, Rewind” edition is a direct nod to the era when the film first became a phenomenon. The tape is red in color with black stickers and red lettering, making it a standout item for physical media collectors. It includes the filmmaker-approved 2024 restored theatrical cut. This is the first time this restored version has been available on VHS in the United States.
The VHS edition costs $29.99 plus shipping. It can be pre-ordered now through Lionsgate Limited. For fans who remember renting movies from Blockbuster, the release is designed to feel like a piece of horror history coming full circle.
Bonus Features on the Blu-ray Set
The Blu-ray is loaded with both new and legacy special features. New extras include Season of the Witch, which features interviews with filmmakers and actors Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams. Other new featurettes explore the Blair Witch in other media, the film’s archive at the University of Pittsburgh, and a tribute to cinematographer Neal Fredericks.
Legacy features that had been out of circulation are also included. These include the Curse of the Blair Witch mockumentary, Sticks and Stones: An Exploration of the Blair Witch Legend, deleted scenes, alternate endings, theatrical trailers, and the Cannes 1999 archive directors’ interviews. An audio commentary with directors Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, producer Robin Cowie, and co-producer Michael Monello is included on the original-release version of the film.
Why the Original Film Still Matters
The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999 and changed horror cinema. The film follows three film students who disappear in the Maryland woods while making a documentary about a local legend. Shot with handheld cameras and unknown actors, it popularized the found-footage genre for mainstream audiences.
The marketing campaign was just as influential as the film itself. Promotional materials at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1999 looked like missing persons flyers with the actors’ faces. A convincing website treated the story as real, and many moviegoers were not sure if what they were watching was actual footage. When the film went into wide release in summer 1999, it became a box-office hit and one of the most profitable movies ever made relative to its budget.
The Original Cast Reunion at a Special Screening
Fans in Ohio will have a chance to see the original cast together next month. Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams are scheduled to appear at a film screening and Q&A at the McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany, Ohio, on Friday, October 2, 2026. The event takes place just days before the new home video releases arrive.
You May Also Like:
The Upcoming Blair Witch Reboot
A new Blair Witch Project movie is also in development at Lionsgate. The reboot is set to hit theaters on September 24, 2027. Dylan Clark, a filmmaker who built a following through horror shorts on YouTube, is directing from a script he is rewriting based on an original screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin. The project is being produced by Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster.
Original stars Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams are serving as executive producers on the reboot, along with original filmmakers Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale. Heather Donahue is not involved in the new film. Production was scheduled to begin in fall 2026, with a budget estimated at around $10 million.
For more entertainment news, release updates, and streaming details, keep reading VvipTimes.
Leave a Reply