The Grudge 2

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Sony stays at Ghost House for 'Grudge 2'

Sony Pictures Entertainment has signed a two-picture distribution deal with Ghost House Pictures to release "The Grudge 2" as well as the English-language debut film from the Pang brothers.

The agreement comes on the heels of a number of successful collaborations between the two partners, including the release of last year's "The Grudge" and the recent "Boogeyman."

Columbia Pictures execs Matt Tolmach, Doug Belgrad and Shannon Gaulding will work with the Ghost House team to develop "The Grudge 2." Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred in the first film, has not yet committed to the sequel.

Director Takashi Shimizu, the creative force behind the "Grudge"/"Ju-On" franchise, is back at the helm, and will reteam with writer Stephen Susco; producers Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Taka Ichise; and executive producers Roy Lee and Doug Davison. Principal photography is slated to begin this year for an anticipated Halloween 2006 release.
 
The second title falling under the deal marks the English-language directorial debut for the Pang twins Oxide and Danny. Mark Wheaton is writing from a previous script from Stuart Beattie and an original script by Todd Farmer. The film is a horror tale that follows the lives of a family that moves out of the city to a rundown rural farm. As the farm revives after being in disrepair, the family is threatened by alarming paranormal occurrences.

The deal comes on the heels of February's debut of Ghost House's second horror feature "Boogeyman," released by Sony's Screen Gems division, which opened at the top of the boxoffice with $19 million, making it the highest-grossing opening over a Super Bowl weekend. The film has grossed more than $46 million in the U.S.

Last fall, Columbia Pictures released Ghost House Pictures' "The Grudge," which grossed more than $110 million in the U.S. and is still generating returns internationally, with a total worldwide boxoffice gross of more than $183 million to date. Ghost House also is developing the thriller "30 Days of Night" in partnership with Columbia Pictures.

"Thanks to the tremendous talents behind Ghost House Pictures, 'The Grudge' was a runaway hit for us, and the success of 'Boogeyman' shows the strength of this genre," Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Jeff Blake said.

"Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems have been wonderful partners in helping to market and distribute our first two releases," Ghost House partner Raimi said. "We are excited to continue this successful collaboration with 'The Grudge 2' and a new movie by the immensely talented Pang brothers."

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Trailer

Release Date: October 13, 2006

Cast: Amber Tamblyn, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Arielle Kebbel, Jennifer Beals, Teresa Palmer, Takako Fuji, Ryo Ishibashi, Misako Uno, Shaun Sipos, Edison Chen

Director: Takashi Shimizu

Premise: In Tokyo, a young woman is exposed to the same mysterious curse that afflicted her sister. The supernatural force, which fills a person with rage before spreading to its next victim, brings together a group of previously unrelated people who attempt to unlock its secret to save their lives.