Some people say that evil never truly dies, and that some spirits are so vengeful that no amount of prayer, magic, or blunt-force trauma can send them to their final resting place. Now, Sony Pictures is apparently willing to test that theory, as they've recently cast both Andrea Riseborough and Demian Bichir to star in their planned reboot of THE GRUDGE.
Helming the film will be Nicolas Pesce, who will direct the horror feature from a script that he himself has written. Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert will produce via their Ghost House banner alongside Nathan Kahane and Erin Westerman who are set to executive produce for Good Universe with Schuyler Weiss, Roy Lee, and Doug Davison.
The movie, which is scheduled to begin shooting in May, will reboot the terrifying tale of what happens when Karen Davis, an American nurse, re-locates to Tokyo and runs afowl of a vengeful spirit who has a penchant for possessing its victims. From the moment of their first encounter, Karen begins fearing for her own life as a string of grizzly and bizarre deaths begin happening all around her. As the horrifying reality of her situation begins to dawn, Karen must discover a way to break the curse, before she herself becomes the supernatural creature's next target.
In talking up the reboot, Sam Raimi told Variety that “We are so excited about this new adaptation. We went back to the original source material to deliver a relentless supernatural thrill ride that explores the horrors of American suburbia.”
In the past, Riseborough has starred in several television programs such as PARTY ANIMALS, BLOODLINE, THE DEVIL'S WHORE, and WACO, as well as the films BIRDMAN and NOCTURNAL ANIMALS. Meanwhile, Demian Bichir had acted in such films as Quentin Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT and ALIEN: COVENANT, in addition to a number of TV shows like WEEDS and THE BRIDGE. Here's hoping that both actors are prepared to go up against a vindictive spirit when THE GRUDGE returns to theaters sometime in 2019.