10 Movie Sequels That Failed To Recapture The Magic

A good sequel needs to bring new ideas to the table, expanding on its predecessor in new ways, while also not straying too far that it's unrecognisable. It's a fine line to walk, a line that Blair Witch 2 fails to stick to.

The Blair Witch Project is an independent gem. It's a guidebook on how to do found footage well and its horror aspects aren't lacking either. It's claustrophobic and evokes fear through the unknown, rather than bearing all like so many films do. It's so inventive that big studios must still be kicking themselves for not thinking of the idea first.

The success of The Blair Witch Project prompted its distributor to greenlight a sequel, but the original filmmakers, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, wanted more time than they were given to fully develop one. Instead, Artisan Entertainment pressed ahead with a new director, and a much bigger budget. What could go wrong?

Director Joe Berlinger has since disowned the film, citing constant producer meddling and forced reshoots as the main reasons for the movie being such a disappointment. There are other factors like god-awful dialogue and characters with less personality than a wet noodle that make Book Of Shadows as bad as it is, and it's clear it was intended as a shameless cash grab hoping to capitalise on the success of the original. It's not a labour of love and almost single-handedly destroyed the franchise.