Netflix Developing Series Based on Ju-On: The Grudge

As proven with series like Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House, Netflix has established itself as one of the best destinations for horror fans who are looking to sink their teeth into creepy series. The streaming platform is fully leaning into the love from genre fans and continues to expand its horror programming. A new endeavor from Netflix will be a series inspired by the Japanese ghost movie Ju-On, which was the inspiration for the 2004 film The Grudge. Ramen Para Dos confirmed that the series was announced during a Netflix Japan event, with Sho Miyake serving as the director, with the series expected to land in 2020.

Netflix currently has a landing page for Ju-On, which describes the series, “The J-Horror classic franchise Ju-On was actually based on real events that occurred over four decades – and the truth is even more terrifying.”

Back in the 2000s, the success of The Ring saw a number of studios turn to Asian horror films to offer American interpretations of the material. Following The Grudge, which earned two sequels, the trend stagnated, similar to how found footage films ran their course after a number of Paranormal Activity imitators debuted throughout the 2010s.

A Ju-On TV series isn’t the only project based on the franchise fans can look forward to next year, with another remake, The Grudge, hitting theaters in January.

“It’s a very different take on The Grudge than you know it from the past,” director Nicolas Pesce described of his remake 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,” Pesce noted. “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.”

Stay tuned for details on Ju-On before it comes to Netflix next year.

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