The Grudge (film series)

The Grudge is a 2004 supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco, and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film Ju-on: The Grudge, it stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea DuVall, and Bill Pullman, and is the first installment in The Grudge film series which is based on the Japanese Ju-On franchise. Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki, and Takashi Matsuyama portray the characters Kayako Saeki, Toshio Saeki, and Takeo Saeki from the original films. The plot is told through a nonlinear sequence of events, and includes several intersecting subplots.

The Grudge was released in North America on October 22, 2004, by Columbia Pictures. The film received mixed reviews, though Gellar's performance as Karen Davis was praised by critics, and was a box-office success, making over $187 million against a $10 million budget. The film was followed by two sequels, The Grudge 2 (2006) and The Grudge 3 (2009). A reimagining entitled The Grudge, which takes place concurrently with the events of this film, is set to be released in 2020.