GRUDGE RELEASE THIS JULY
When Dreamworks released Gore Verbinski’s The Ring in 2002 it was not the least bit surprising that Hideo Nakata’s original, Ringu, would be introduced to American audiences after The Ring’s success, and not coincidentally when Verbinski’s film hit home video itself.
Will the same sly marketing maneuver occur when Columbia/Tri-Star and Takashi Shimizu’s American remake of his very own Ju-On: The Grudge crabwalks into theaters this fall?
Not if Lions Gate has anything to do with it.
The distributor announced today that, in conjunction with Vitagraph Films (Bubba Ho-Tep), they’ll be releasing Shimizu’s original Ju-On: The Grudge on the big screen in theaters throughout Los Angeles and New York on July 23rd. Later, Ju-On’s run will expand to Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle.
‘Lions Gate has always taken pride in being at the forefront of the horror genre and we couldn’t be more excited to work with true masters of the craft, writer/director Takashi Shimizu and producer Taka Ichise,’ said Peter Block, President of Acquisitions for Lions Gate Entertainment. ‘In Vitagraph Films, we’ve found a partner who shares our belief that Ju-On: The Grudge has the crossover appeal to be a success in America.’
A site for the film is promised to go live soon at www.juonthegrudge.com. It might not be live at the time your read this, but keep checking throughout the day.
Ju-On: The Grudge is the third film in Shimizu’s series following Ju-On and Ju-On 2, both released direct-to-video overseas. Ju-On: The Grudge was the first to be released theatrically and considered a hit when it scared up 500-million yen (the equivalent to $4.7 million). On the heels of this success, Shimizu directed Ju-On: The Grudge 2 and was later tapped by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Productions to helm a Ju-On remake – retitled The Grudge for us cowboys – starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Clea Duvall and Bill Pullman.
The gist of the Ju-On series is this: There’s this quaint little house inhabited by a vengeful curse that affects anyone who lives in it, or for that matter, anyone who may come in contact with those who take up residence there. The films piece together an unstoppable chain of supernatural and unthinkable violence where no one is safe.
Courtesy of Creature Corner
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