ICYMI: A Frighteningly Familiar Curse Returns To The Big Screen In New 'Grudge' Trailer!

With every horror franchise getting rebooted or revamped, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before The Grudge made its terrifying return to the big screen. That's right, ladies and germs, the third attempt -- or sorta-reboot, as it has been described -- of the successful Japanese horror franchise Ju-On is officially happening, and a new trailer has been released to remind fans that some curses never die, they just relocate. 

Hold on to your hats because it looks like evil has gone Stateside for the next chapter in the gruesome Grudge legacy. The first terrifying tease into this new tale of horror has a lot in common with its 2004 predecessor, and there is a significant reason for that. This film takes place at the same time as The Grudge film that starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, except on the opposite side of the world. Also taking place in 2004, the new Grudge film finds its setting in a small American town but is tied to the curse form the infamous film series somehow. 

This new chapter that is officially canon with both the American and Japanese films will being helmed by Nicolas Pesce. Pesce's feature debut, The Eye of The Mother, was a truly haunting experience, and it will be interesting to see how he adapts his signature style to the Grudge legacy. Adding to all the horrific mayhem is one of the genre's most celebrated living filmmakers. Sam Raimi, the man responsible for The Evil Dead series of films, will be producing the sorta-reboot, and this is not his first time working with the contorted demon spirit creature. Raimi served as producer on the 2004 American reboot and the sequel that followed it in 2006. Entering the franchise under Raimi's careful watch, The Grudge features a star-studded cast, including the likes of John Cho, Andrea Riseborough, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye, Demian Bichir, and Jacki Weaver. With this kind of talent in front of and behind the camera, one can’t help but get a frightening feeling that this new Grudge will be unlike anything fans have seen before.

The first Grudge was a pretty scary affair from what I can remember. But I felt that the second film was much more terrifying. The Grudge 2 starred Amber Tamblyn and saw the infamous curse escape the house and move like a virus into an apartment building. It was an exciting direction for the franchise to go, and the possibilities seemed promising. Unfortunately, the third film went straight to DVD, so I inevitably passed. But now, over a decade later, the story continues, and the curse has made its way to the United Staes for a brand new chilling tale that will hopefully reignite that signature Ju-on fear that put the franchise on the map. Will the curse of franchise fatigue plague this internationally beloved horror franchise, or will it find new life in America? Only time will tell. 

The Grudge will haunt theaters on January 3 in the United States, terrify Australia on January 9, and on January 31, the curse will make its way to the U.K.