In 1993, Dan Myrick and his University of Central Florida classmate Eduardo Sánchez conceived the legend of the Blair Witch and a story about three film students who go missing in the woods trying to capture the witch on camera. Knowing that documentaries on paranormal phenomena are typically far scarier than traditional horror films, they developed a short, 35-page screenplay that would rely heavily on improvised dialogue.

Three actors were cast, and soon discovered that they would be shooting the bulk of the footage themselves with hand-held cameras. They would receive “clues” each day regarding their scenes, but would not be privy to their co-stars’ motivations. Their real-life sanity would be tested over a week in the woods. After years of planning and an eight-month edit, Dan and Eduardo hoped the finished film would make it to cable TV. They submitted a final cut to Sundance.

And the rest is the stuff that Hollywood dreams are made of: The Blair Witch Project went on to become one of the most successful and profitable independent films in history, grossing nearly $250 million worldwide. Tampa Theatre proudly (and very successfully) opened The Blair Witch Project in 1999 and even hosted a very cool talk with Dan and Eduardo. A fascinating artifact of the movie business and a film that still inevitably gets the audience talking, we’re very proud to bring it back in our 100^th year.

This screening is held in the Historic Duncan Auditorium. This space utilizes open seating for this event, seat selection is not required.

VIEW the full 2026 “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” series lineup.