The Grudge (film series)
A curse born from rage spreads like a virus.
The Grudge film series is an American supernatural horror franchise from Sony Pictures, forming part of the larger Japanese Ju-On universe. The story centers on a curse born from a murdered family's rage inside a house in Suginami. This curse, called ju-on, spreads like a virus: anyone who enters the home or encounters the curse becomes fatally afflicted, and their own death spawns a new curse.
The first film, released in 2004, is a remake of *Ju-On: The Grudge* and follows a similar plot. The 2006 sequel, *The Grudge 2*, is not a remake and tells an original story, though it borrows some elements from earlier Japanese films. *The Grudge 3*, released in 2009, picks up shortly after the second film. A fourth film came out in 2020; originally planned as a reboot, it became a standalone sequel instead. Producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, through Ghost House Pictures, worked on the first, second, and fourth films. Takashige Ichise produced all four.
**The Grudge (2004)** premiered on October 22, 2004. It follows Karen, an exchange student in Japan who covers for a missing nurse. She finds an elderly catatonic woman in a disheveled house, hears scratching upstairs, and encounters the spirits of the Saeki family. The curse, set off by murders years earlier, pulls Karen into a cycle of horror as she tries to protect her boyfriend. The film was a major box office success, grossing over $180 million.
**The Grudge 2 (2006)** was released on October 13, 2006, set two years after the first film and spanning two countries. Karen’s sister Aubrey travels to Tokyo after learning Karen is in a mental hospital. When Karen dies horribly, Aubrey investigates the curse with a journalist. Meanwhile, an American teenager in Japan faces supernatural events after a prank, and in Chicago, a boy becomes caught in the curse after a classmate moves back. The film earned $70 million worldwide.
**The Grudge 3 (2009)** takes place in Chicago. Jake, the sole survivor of the second film, is in a mental institution. His therapist doesn’t believe he is haunted, but after Jake is killed in his cell, she investigates. A woman steals a key to an apartment that is a crime scene, and her sister becomes involved. A woman from Tokyo arrives to stop the curse of her sister Kayako. Unlike the first two films, this entry was released straight-to-video.
**The Grudge (2019)** was announced in 2011
- First film release
- October 22, 2004
- Number of films
- 4
- Producers
- Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert (first, second, and fourth films); Takashige Ichise (all four films)
- Production company
- Ghost House Pictures
- Distributor
- Sony Pictures
- Notable cast
- Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Tamblyn, Johanna Braddy
Lore & Background
The series began with The Grudge (2004), which follows Karen Davis, an exchange student in Japan who encounters the Saeki family curse while covering for a nurse. The film was a major box office success, grossing over $180 million. The sequel, The Grudge 2 (2006), is set two years later and follows Karen's sister Aubrey as she investigates the curse in Tokyo and Chicago; it earned $70 million worldwide. The Grudge 3 (2009) continues in Chicago, focusing on a therapist and a resident named Lisa, but was released straight-to-video.
Reader's Guide
The Grudge series is significant for adapting the Japanese Ju-On franchise into an American context, achieving notable commercial success with its first two installments. The 2004 film exceeded box office expectations, while the 2006 sequel also performed well. The series explores a curse that spreads like a virus, affecting all who encounter it. A 2020 film, initially conceived as a reboot, became a stand-alone sequel set before and during the events of the 2004 film. The series' legacy includes producer involvement from Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, and director Nicolas Pesce later expressed interest in a crossover with The Ring series and a sequel set in a different time and place.
Did You Know?
- The Grudge (2004) is a remake of Ju-On: The Grudge and follows a similar storyline.
- The Grudge 2 is not a remake and follows a unique storyline, though it borrows some plot elements from Japanese predecessors.
- The Grudge 3 was released straight-to-video, unlike the first two films which had theatrical releases.
- The 2020 film was initially conceived as a reboot but became a stand-alone sequel.
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