The Grudge 2

[Brian in Mesa]

Raimi and Tapert on The Grudge 2
Source: Now Playing Magazine
January 28, 2005

Now Playing Magazine caught up with The Grudge producers Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" franchise) and Rob Tapert, who both run Ghost House Pictures, and asked about the status of the sequel.

"We just came from a big story conference this whole last week," says Raimi, adding that Takashi Shimizu, the director of both The Grudge and Ju-On, is back.

"He came to America, to Los Angeles, and we met with him in a little room on the Columbia Pictures lot and hammered out an outline for the first draft of part two. And he's planning, I think, on working in the same subtle, elegant way that he made the first film in."

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I wonder how many Japanese horror films there are to be remade and sequelized? Both Ringu and Ju-On seem to have done well in translation and are getting sequels (The Ring 3 is rumored to already be in the works).

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Gellar Returns for The Grudge 2
Source: Dread Central
December 5, 2005

The Grudge and The Grudge 2 screenwriter Stephen Susco tells Dread Central that Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role of Karen Davis in the sequel.

Talking from Japan, Susco revealed that "SMG is back. Without giving anything away, we've all been pretty focused on making a sequel that has a strong raison d'etre - a second chapter to an evolving story, instead of a sequel that's made just because the first one performed well."

The follow-up starts filming on January 20th with Takashi Shimizu back in the director's chair. Columbia Pictures will release the Ghost House Pictures project on October 20, 2006.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Amber Tamblyn Faces The Grudge 2
Source: Columbia Pictures, Ghost House Pictures
January 25, 2006

Amber Tamblyn has joined Sarah Michelle Gellar in The Grudge 2, it was announced today by Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures. The film is the much-anticipated sequel to the 2004 hit The Grudge, which earned $188 million in worldwide box office receipts. Director Takashi Shimizu, writer Stephen Susco, and producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise are all returning.

Tamblyn, who joins the cast as the younger sister of Gellar's character, is best-known for her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated breakout role as the star of Joan of Arcadia. She has also earned kudos for film roles in The Ring, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and most recently, Stephanie Daley, currently at Sundance.

The Grudge 2 delves into the secrets behind the grudge's wrath and introduces a seemingly unrelated host of new characters who find themselves connected by the same terrifying supernatural curse.

Added to the growing cast is Arielle Kebbel, known for guest appearances on The WB's critically acclaimed Gilmore Girls, her role in Be Cool and the just wrapped productions of Fox's upcoming features Aquamarine and John Tucker Must Die as well as the independent The Outlaw Trail. Joining Kebbel is newcomer Aussie actress Teresa Palmer who recently finished shooting December Boys with Daniel Radcliffe ("Harry Potter").

Mandate Pictures' Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane will executive produce alongside Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison. Matt Tolmach and Shannon Gaulding will oversee the production for Columbia. Michael Kirk and Drew Crevello will oversee for Ghost House.

 

[joeshmo]

I wonder how many Japanese horror films there are to be remade and sequelized? Both Ringu and Ju-On seem to have done well in translation and are getting sequels (The Ring 3 is rumored to already be in the works).

After The Ring 3 there is still one more jap horror movie in the film set. I wonder what the Ring 3 will be based on. Is it going to be a stand alone film or based on one of the 2 of the 4 other J-Horrors series. One story called Ringu Zero (I suggest you try to rent it is pretty good) of the history of Sadako (the crazy girl) is revealed or the worst one of the series called Rasen which was about a virus that came from the video and was just horrible.

I for one love the Asian-Horrors, they are a refreshing change from the slasher type horrors or the blood fest type horrors of Saw or Hostel. The asian-Horrors rely more on soundtrack, camera angles, suspense what is hiding in the corner type stuff, without a lot of special effects or loud noises(sometimes silence is 10 times more scary). I find that way of making a horror way more scary. Sometimes less is more in this case.

I suggest you look up some of the more popular Asian-Horror movies and give them a try. Some of the better ones -

A Tale of Two Sisters - South Korea film
Dark Water - not the US version
The Eye - Hong Kong film
Versus - not really a horror but it is a Action Zombie Flick. the best way to describe it is if Sam Riami was asian and made the Evil Dead using Samuri's instead, and get the directors cut if you can.
One Missed Call - Japan film
Face - Korea Film - More of a thriller then a Horror.

There are a lot of others, those are just at the top of my head. And yes I have been on an asian film kick as of late, and I have not been disappionted, they are a refreshing change to the US movies of excess, which there is nothing wrong with, just a change.