Hey guys! Horrorella here...
It's been 10 years since THE GRUDGE found its way to American shores, so I guess that means it's time for a reboot?
...
That's what Deadline is reporting anyway. According to them, Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert (who produced the American films under their Ghost House banner) are gearing up to relaunch the franchise, with MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN's Jeff Buhler penning the screenplay.
THE GRUDGE, along with the American version of THE RING, were instrumental in bringing J-Horror and its distinct visual flavor to the American consciousness. Takashi Shimizu directed most of the installments (the ones worth watching, anyway) in both Japan and in the States.
For whatever reason, THE GRUDGE films were always ones that got under my skin. DEEP under. While the stories were always simple in set-up and execution (really, you just needed to get a group of people to come into contact with this house, and then the spooky-ass ghost followed them home), there is just something about Kayako that stuck with me. Her look, her jarring movements, the terrifing throaty noise that she makes as she's creeping up behind you, her absolutely relentlessness - they all combined to create a really terrifying boogeyman. I love these films (the American versions, as well as the Japense JU-ON: THE CURSE and JU-ON: THE GRUDGE entries), yet I don't watch them very often, for fear that Kayako might actually wind up under my bed and the last thing I would hear would be that terrible noise.
The franchise doesn't feel old enough yet to be relaunched, but I guess that isn't stopping Spider-Man, so what the hell?
What do you guys think? Are you on board for more GRUDGE movies?
