Ju-On: The Grudge

Ju-On: The Grudge is a 2002 Japanese supernatural horror film written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. It is the third installment in the Ju-On series and the first to be released theatrically (the first two being direct-to-video productions). It stars Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa, Kanji Tsuda, Kayoko Shibata, Yukako Kukuri, Shuri Matsuda, Yōji Tanaka, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Hideo Sakaki, Takashi Matsuyama and Takako Fuji. Ju-On: The Grudge premiered at the Screamfest Film Festival on 18 October 2002, by Lions Gate Films. The film received favourable reviews from critics but was initially unfavourably compared to another Japanese horror film, Ring, but subsequent reception has been more positive. A sequel to the film titled Ju-On: The Grudge 2, also directed by Shimizu, was released in 2003. It also spawned a franchise, an American remake, 2006 and 2009 sequels, a 2020 sidequel to the remake and a prequel television series entitled Ju-On: Origins, which premiered in 2020.