I wanted to put the cap on POV news this week with Chronicle, but when it comes to a project being directed by Eduardo Sanchez, I think I can make room for one more. The guy hasn't delivered one widely successful film since The Blair Witch Project back in 1999, but that one alone makes any other project he gets his hands on instantly intriguing and that's why I'll be keeping a close eye on Possession. According to Variety, that'll be Sanchez's next venture behind the lens and it actually doesn't stray too far from the concept that brought him all the notoriety to begin with.

Sanchez co-wrote the script with Jamie Nash and it's about "the thin line between demonic possession and psychosis, starts off as a simple horror film about things that go bump in the night but slowly turns into a thriller about the evil power that exists inside one troubled young woman." Amber Entertainment and Haxan Films are the companies behind this one. Haxan actually produced Blair Witch way back when, so perhaps they're hoping lightening can strike twice. The folks over there better keep their fingers crossed tight because they also backed Sanchez's critical flop, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (which Sanchez only executive produced) and the widely unnoticed Altered and Seventh Moon.
The key here is clearly Sanchez. The first Blair Witch made him a star and he deserved it. I was actually just watching the film again yesterday and couldn't stop thinking about how he really kicked off this while POV craze in the best way possible. The thing is, there's no mention of Possession being shot shaky cam style. I'd certainly prefer it considering Sanchez knows how to use it, but then again the combination of that technique and the basic plot concept makes it sound an awful lot like Paranormal Activity. But of course, there's probably much more to the story than that brief synopsis reveals.
Yes, Sanchez made two films since 1999, but we need something of Blair Witch's caliber. Will this be it? I hope, but I would have had more faith if it re-teamed Sanchez with his Blair Witch co-writer and director Daniel Myrick. He worked with Nash on Altered and Seventh Moon neither of which got nearly as much buzz, so maybe it's time to go back to what worked or shake things up a bit. At this point he'll need at least one famous face to get anywhere close to a wide release. Blair Witch is still iconic, but his ability to name drop himself has definitely fizzled out.