The Influencer Project brings two of the filmmakers behind The Blair Witch Project back to found-footage horror, this time with smartphones, social media and the particular unease of letting strangers follow your daily life online.
Eduardo Sánchez, who co-directed the influential 1999 horror film, and producer Gregg Hale are behind the new project. British social media creator Chiara King stars as a fictionalised version of herself in her first film role, while Mike Nybroe makes his feature directing debut.
How does the film update found-footage horror?
The story follows King as she travels to Copenhagen with a documentary crew. Their aim is to capture the reality behind her online fame, including the less polished parts that generally do not arrive with flattering lighting and a sponsorship code.
As the cameras record her trip, an obsessive stalker begins tracking her movements. The production uses phone footage and online interactions to shift the familiar found-footage format into the social media age, where people routinely publish their whereabouts and then hope only normal viewers are paying attention.
That approach gives Sánchez and Hale a modern route back into the genre they helped popularise. Rather than relying on abandoned woods and missing tapes, the new film builds its threat around constant connectivity, public exposure and the difficulty of knowing who is watching.
How did Chiara King’s real experiences shape the story?
The stalking plot is partly inspired by King’s own experiences. Hale said her familiarity with that fear informed what viewers will see on screen.
“The stalking depicted in the film is something Chiara knows firsthand, and that comes across in her performance,” he said in an announcement from the filmmakers.
King described the role as “deeply personal” and said she used her experiences to give the performance greater honesty. She also saw the film as a way to examine how someone can regain control after being targeted.
“I was able to draw from my own experience to bring an honesty to the performance, while also exploring what it means to take back your sense of control,” King said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we created, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience the film and go on this journey with us.”
Is the movie connected to the Blair Witch reboot?
Sánchez and Hale are separately involved in an upcoming Blair Witch reboot directed by horror YouTuber Dylan Clark. Despite the shared filmmakers and found-footage roots, the influencer thriller tells its own story and is not part of that franchise.
It also joins a growing set of horror films built around online creators. Other examples include Milk and Serial, in which two influencers see a filmed prank go badly wrong, and the TikTok-inspired Skill House, starring Bryce Hall. Apparently, maintaining an upload schedule was not stressful enough already.
When will the film be released?
The release plan begins with a limited run in US cinemas on October 2. UK and Irish cinemas will follow on October 16.
A UK digital and home-video release is scheduled for November 30, giving viewers the option to watch a film about online surveillance from one of several internet-connected devices in their own homes. Convenient, if not especially reassuring.
