The Grudge 2 with SMG?

[v120176]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=12240

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. Stay tuned to GhostHousePictures.com for more on the sequel.

The Ring was a way better version than Ringu. And Naomi Watts did a hell of a job there. I didn't see The Ring 2 (less Ringu 2). But that was a case (probably one of the rare cases) where the american version was better than the original.

I watched Ju-on and I kinda liked. It managed to scare me in some moments.
The Grudge barely kept me awake...... And also the special effects part reminds you constantly The Ring. And that fact caused me compare both movies.... And let's say The Grudge didn't get too far not to mention Gellar's far from stellar performance.

Personally I felt kinda insulted with The Grudge. Ju-On has those timeline jumps, a total unlinear movie and that made it interesting. This Hollywood version didn't and more, it was like they treated the public like they were stupid: just in case you had Karen (SMG) watching there at the Bill Pullman scene in the final. And not to mention that in Ju-On there was not boyfriend, the character was a friend, (don't remember if it was a nanny or a teacher), and when the lead talks with her just heard in the phone the name of the "kid" she was taking care off and she runs to the house. In The Grudge you have the boyfriend saying where he was... REally, Hollywood thinks the viewers are that stupid that will not understand or not follow a not linear movie or catch hints? Because with they took away one of the most interesting things of Ju-On.
And the same happened with a lot of non-english movies that were destroyed in the american version. (The argentine Nueve Reinas or "nine queens" as one of them all the subtles hints of the original? forget it)....

I'm far away from interested on The Grudge 2. I think it's a real bad move for SMG, not to mention that the DVD of The Grudge did'nt work well. I think they got lucky with The Grudge because it was Halloween, there was no other things to watch, the original movie was respected in the horror-fans circle. But I think this was a one-shot time. Maybe I'm wrong but I think SMG should stay away from this second versionl.....

[Morrigan]

You're just about the only person I've met that claimed the American versions were better than the Japanese. Most that I've talked to find the Japanese versions to be much creepier.

Having only seen the American versions I can say that I found The Grudge to be rather creepy but wasn't really all that impressed with The Ring. In either case, I'd still wait for the sequels to come to cable, neither movie was worth my $10

I'm not really surpised that SMG is in the sequel, it was totally understood from the beginning that she would be.

[LaLa247]

Meh. Ju-on was so much better.

Completely random, but Chakushin ari (or, One Missed Call) is being remade for American audiences. Loved the move- incredibly creepy, had the beautiful and fantastic Kou Shibasaki (look her up) in the lead, and made me and my family shudder at seeing "one missed call" on our cell phones.

Why do I bring this up? Because I'm sick of these remakes starring blondies and pretty boys. LOL Yes, random, but I wanna see Natalie Portman and Adrien Brody in this remake. Let's get some respectable people up in here (the original starred Kou and Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, a stage actor).

...

Ju-on was so much better than The Grudge.

[v120176]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

You're just about the only person I've met that claimed the American versions were better than the Japanese. Most that I've talked to find the Japanese versions to be much creepier.

Having only seen the American versions I can say that I found The Grudge to be rather creepy but wasn't really all that impressed with The Ring. In either case, I'd still wait for the sequels to come to cable, neither movie was worth my $10

I'm not really surpised that SMG is in the sequel, it was totally understood from the beginning that she would be.

No, no, no..... Just The Ring version. Maybe because I watched it first and then Ringu. But I liked way better the american version than the japanese one. And was really better acted. The kid of the american version was creepy and Naomi Watts was very good. When I watched Ringu I was dissapointed. Also it was probably because I saw Ju-On and The Grudge and I found that the hollywood version was far away from the quality of the original so I expected more from Ringu.....
Ju-On was waaaaaaay better than The Grudge. And really I think that was probably one of the worst works of SMG. Neither of those movies are spectacular but The Ring had that "new concept" of horror, if you want. the problem, you saw one you saw all. See what happened with "dark water". (I didn't see the original version of that).
I'm not near saying that Hollywood version are better than the originals (just in very exceptional cases). More I think they make those version for, with all the respect, "stupid viewers". Really what was the problem of respecting the non-linear thing of Ju-On? The Occidental public is that idiot? pfffft.

[psychofilly]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

You're just about the only person I've met that claimed the American versions were better than the Japanese. Most that I've talked to find the Japanese versions to be much creepier.

Having only seen the American versions I can say that I found The Grudge to be rather creepy but wasn't really all that impressed with The Ring. In either case, I'd still wait for the sequels to come to cable, neither movie was worth my $10

I'm not really surpised that SMG is in the sequel, it was totally understood from the beginning that she would be.

I found the Japanese version of the Grudge, a bit better than the American version, howver, Ringu was *much* better than The Ring, which I loved, having seen it first. However the Japanese version had much more context and seemed more logical, and it focused on the adults more than Samara and the little boy.

I just think that, while visually stunning and unique, sometimes the Japanese sensibility of "horror" is far different than American. We have to have a strong hero and/or heroine that fights the evil, while in Japanese cinema, sometimes evil just happens. It can seem pointless or like the characters are too passive. Plus there seems to be different ideas of what ghosts and curses are and how they work.

I happen to find them refreshing, because I like the visual and psychological creepiness, sometimes far better than the music video, quick-cut over the top violence and gore American horror often subjects us to.

[v120176]

It's weird... all the people I know that liked The Ring more than Ringu are mostly latinoamerican or european (not english speaker, I mean) while the american people I know liked more Ringu......
Anyway, I liked much more The Ring. Specially for the final scene where the boy asks the Mom what will happen to the people they'd show the tape and she only said "you're going to be alright". Ringu (except it was some bad translation in the subtitles) has the explanation "if you made a copy and you show it to another.... blah, blah, blah..." I don't like when the director does that, like the public is to idiot to get it. And I found Ring better acted.

But all agree about Ju-On. Specially for the unlinear timeline that didn't exist in The Grudge.

[rousedower]

I thought The Grudge stunk. It wasn't scary at all. But it made money, so they kinda have to make a sequel and it's not like SMG is all that busy. She's busy, but not that busy. So why not?

[BAfanangelbuffy0]

I am not sure what you believe denotes busy.

This year she had filmed "The Return" (fomerly known as The Revolver) and "Southland Tales". She also did voice for "Happily N'Ever After"

And next year she has signed on for "Girl's Guide for Hunting and Fishing" with Alec Baldwin and "The Air I Breathe" with Kevin Bacon and the title role in "Alice".

Odd thing is TAIB and G2 are both scheduled to film in January. Not sure how that will work out.

I think Sarah has a very steady workload and is not desperate for work. But I also know she found the filming of "The Grudge" to be a favorable experience.

[Andromeda7_4]

I think it's a mistake.
The sequel is unlikely to match the box office take of the original; so I don't see it helping her career.

Also, I kind of get the sense that the horror genre is moving out of the mainstream and back to its niche audience.
Some highly-regarded actresses (Kate Hudson, Jennifer Connolly, Julianne Moore) have ventured into the genre and for the most part, it hasn't paid off.

SMG was probably offered a lot of $$$, but she should have passed on this one, imo.

[Kate]

It's brief appearance which make sense cause she's shooting "The air I breathe" at the same time.

[tchouli]

Originally Posted by rousedower

I thought The Grudge stunk. It wasn't scary at all. But it made money, so they kinda have to make a sequel and it's not like SMG is all that busy. She's busy, but not that busy. So why not?

totally concur about the "grudge"

[BAfanangelbuffy0]

According to this Blue Star Movies, Sarah is up for another role.

http://www.bluestarmovies.com/inproduction1.html

Streetlight
(Thriller)

Starring:
Ron Perlman
Terence Stamp
Sarah Michelle Gellar - in negotiation

Director:
Nicolas Van Pallandt

Synopsis:
Streetlight is a dark, atmospheric modern thriller set in the wet and deserted cityscapes of night-time London. A musicology student, Mena, finds her whole world shattered when she witnesses the murder of a friend for what would appear to be a music CD. Hunted by the killers and suspected by the police, she is compelled to go on the run and to try and solve the mystery herself. She discovers a code hidden in the music that leads to something considered so unique that people have devoted their lives to finding it; something they would kill for; something they would die for…

Sounds interesting to me.

[cordyfan83]

anyone else think this sounds a little like Da Vinci Code? replace "musicology" with "symbology"....