Haxan Films’ success with The Blair Witch Project has hit its first snag. Orlando-based producer Sam Barber claims he is owed a producing credit on the high-flying independent release — the celebrated feature debut of five other Orlando-based filmmakers — and has filed a lawsuit seeking damages of more than $300,000, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In part, Barber’s claim says “Blair Witch” was created while co-director Dan Myrick and Myrick’s girlfriend worked for Barber, to whom Myrick allegedly assigned rights to a film known as “The Black Chapters Trilogy” — of which “Blair Witch” was said to be a part.

This article appears in Jun 23-29, 1999.