‘The Grudge’ Reboot Gets New Title as Filming Begins

Hitting theaters next month is a reboot of The Grudge, which was a remake of the 2002 Japanese film Ju-On: The Grudge. With production on the new incarnation underway, the film’s slate seemingly confirms that the new remake will be titled a much more simple “Grudge.” The new film will be hitting theaters on August 16, 2019.

The film’s official Twitter account shared an image of the film’s slate while adding, “A new #Grudge is forming in 2019. Follow the @GrudgeMovie Instagram for more!”

The Instagram account shared the same image and has since teased a photo of a street sign, though the sign conveyed little about what to expect from the upcoming reboot.

The film upon which this remake is based, Ju-on: The Grudge, was written and directed by Takashi Shimazu. The 2002 film told the story of a man who murders his family when he discovers that his wife has fallen in love with another man. The spirits of the household are so powerful, they return from the grave to kill the man responsible for the horrific crimes. Birthing a curse that extended well past familial connections, the spirits would go on to kill anyone who inhabited the house.

The upcoming film stars John Cho, Lin Shaye, Demian Bichir, and Andrea Riseborough. The film will be directed by Nicolas Pesce, who last directed the festival hit The Eyes of My Mother.

Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and Rob Tapert will produce this reboot for Ghost House. Erin Westerman and Nathan Kahane will serve as executive producers for Good Universe, with Schuyler Weiss, Roy Lee, and Doug Davison. Both Romel Adam and Brady Fujikawa will oversee the film for Ghost House and Good Universe respectively.

“We are so excited about this new adaptation,” Raimi said. “We went back to the original source material to deliver a relentless supernatural thrill ride that explores the horrors of American suburbia”

Thanks in large part to The Grudge and its multiple sequels, American remakes of Asian horror films became a big trend in the 2000s, with each film seeing varying levels of positive responses. Last year saw a new sequel in The Ring franchise, which was both critically and financially disappointing, possibly confirming that interest in the A-horror style had waned with American audiences.

The upcoming Grudge could potentially revive the genre or potentially fall flat. We’ll find out when the film hits theaters on August 16, 2019.

Are you looking forward to a reboot of the series or can the franchise be put to rest? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T Twitter, GrudgeMovie]