American audiences were delivered The Grudge back in 2004, which cashed in on the growing popularity of English-language remakes of Asian horror films. In addition to The Grudge, films like The Ring, Pulse, and Dark Water and their exploration of narratives featuring supernatural presences with long, dark hair and porcelain skin became one of the biggest trends in horror in the 2000s. While 2017’s Rings failed to revived that franchise, a new reboot of The Grudge will land in theaters next year, which hopes to bring the series back into prominence. Bloody Disgusting reports that, while the film was previously titled “Grudge,” a new behind-the-scenes photo confirms the film will honor the 2004 movie by utilizing the name “The Grudge.”
The photo depicts Andrea Riseborough’s character meeting Willam Sadler’s character in a mental institution. The film was directed by Nicolas Pesce, who made a bold promise about what fans could expect from the adventure.
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“It’s a very different take on The Grudge than you know it from the past,” the filmmaker shared with Entertainment Weekly.
The original 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.
Pesce’s take might be different than what we’ve seen before, but the filmmaker assures that it won’t damage the franchise’s legacy, as fans are still welcome to enjoy all previous installments.
“Those movies will always exist and always be there for you to watch,” says Pesce. “I think that horror audiences these days are looking for a much more grounded, much more realistic, much more character-driven story in their horror movies. We see what’s doing well now and it is these kind of smarter, more nuanced horror stories, and that’s what this is going to be. We’re trying to update it for contemporary sensibilities, and we have an unbelievable cast, and I think it’s going to be something very different. There’s a thousand Grudge movies out there, and we wanted to figure out a way to kind of put a new, fresh spin on it, and it’s going to be exciting.”
The Grudge lands in theaters on January 3, 2020.
Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
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