CURSE OF THE BLAIR WITCH

And they didn't. They turned down the chance to direct any number of studio horror movies, including "The Exorcist 4" and "Freddy Vs. Jason," opting to make an off-beat comedy of their own, "Heart of Love." The financing later fell apart and the project was junked. Disappointing, but by then their focus had shifted toward home rather than Hollywood. "We had been struggling for so long," says Sanchez, recalling life before the "Witch" windfall. "You don't have a nice home, you don't have a nice car. Your relationships suffer because you can't really make a commitment until you've become what you want to become. So for the first time ever, we made life the highest priority." With the exception of Cowie, who already had a wife, every one of the Haxan team has married in the last five years. And, in what must be a first in the history of overnight successes, all wedded the longtime girlfriends who had loved them when they were broke. "That speaks volumes about how outside Hollywood they all were," says Donahue, who also has the same pre-"Witch" boyfriend. "That's pretty impressive."

Despite the domestic bliss, though, the actors didn't score nearly the financial payout the directors did. It's estimated that after taxes and fees, they netted only, at most, $1 million each. In L.A., that'll just cover the cost of a three-bedroom home. But the biggest shock was that the film didn't make them instant stars. "We came in with naive expectations," says Leonard, who has been acting in a few small films a year. "We thought people were going to drive us around in Town Cars all the time. We didn't approach success with the same cynicism and resentment that someone who'd been in the business for 20 years might have." Pause. "Or like I will if I ever get it again."

For the most part, the Haxan guys view the last five years as a well-earned break, and although they've been writing scripts and ideally would have made another movie already, they're relieved they didn't make one for careerist reasons. "As hokey as it sounds, I'd rather make five good films in my career than 50 OK ones," Myrick says. And they're all eager to get back in the game. Hale is almost finished with his directing debut, "Say Yes Quickly." Monello is working on a documentary and teaching a guerrilla-marketing class at their alma mater, and Myrick and Sanchez have started talks with Lions Gate about making a "Blair Witch" prequel. Even though Williams isn't thrilled to be hauling sofas, he isn't bitter--and he's got a plan to get on the screen again. "You tell Steven Spielberg, 'I'm here, baby'," he says, and laughs. "Of course, if you print that, he won't be able to find me." No worries, Steven. We've got his number. It's on the side of the truck.

© 2004