The architects of the 1999 found footage boom are returning to the format that broke them. Eduardo Sanchez, the co-creator of The Blair Witch Project, is executive producing The Influencer Project, a new thriller currently in post-production. He is joined by producer Gregg Hale and producer Ahmet Zappa. This isn't just another entry in the sub-genre; it is a direct lineage transfer from the woods of Burkittsville to the digital streets of Copenhagen.
THE CAMERA DOESN'T LIE, IT CURATES
The premise is deceptively simple: an influencer named Chiara is stalked by an online predator while in Copenhagen. Sanchez and Hale are stripping away the "lost tape" artifice of the late 90s. In 1999, the horror was in the raw, unpolished footage of people lost in the woods. In 2026, the horror is in the curated feed. The stalker isn't hiding in the trees; they are embedded in the algorithm, watching a life that is already being broadcast to strangers. The runtime is set at 100 minutes, suggesting a slow-burn escalation rather than a quick-cut scare factory.
REALITY CASTING
The production is betting on authenticity by casting Chiara King as Chiara. King is a British beauty and fashion influencer in real life, and the story is based on true events surrounding her own experience with a stalker. This casting choice eliminates the suspension of disbelief required when a traditional actor tries to mimic the specific cadence of a content creator. King isn't pretending to be an influencer; she brings the existing audience relationship and the specific performative vulnerability of the trade directly to the screen. It is a risky move that blurs the line between the character's trauma and the actor's reality.
THE VERDICT
Found footage has struggled for years to justify its existence in an age of high-definition smartphone cameras. The Influencer Project might be the evolution the format needs. By centering the story on a figure whose life is already recorded, the "camera" becomes a character rather than a plot device. If Sanchez and Hale can translate the dread of isolation from the forest to the isolation of hyper-connectivity, this could revitalize the sub-genre for the social media age.