Movies
Japan Plans Own ‘Ring’ 3-D Sequel: ‘Sadako 3D’
While DreamWorks continues to develop the English-language The Ring 3D, Japanese Kadokawa Pictures made a major announcement for fans of the original 1998 Ringu.
Arriving in Japanese theaters in 2012 is Sadako 3D, featuring the creepy black-haired character from the Ring horror series that started the J-horror craze.
Sadako, identified by her long black hair covering her face, has become an iconic character in the Japanese horror genre. Koji Suzuki, the author of the original “Ring” novel series, indicated that the new 3D film will include a scene of Sadako coming out of a television set, similar to the original.
Suzuki wrote a completely new story for the movie. The director and the cast have not yet been revealed.
For those of you keeping tally, there have been four Japanese films based on Koji Suzuki’s popular Ring series including Ringu, Rasen, Ringu 2, and Ringu 0: Birthday. Then there are the little known Japanese TV Series: “Ring: The Final Chapter” (12 Episodes) and it’s sequel “Rasen” (13 Episodes). And then there’s the Korean remake The Ring Virus alongside the two U.S. remakes. WOWSA.
Movies
‘Werewolf By Night 2’? Michael Giacchino Says It’s Being Talked About But “Everything Takes Forever”
It was Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino who sat in the director’s chair for Marvel’s Disney+ Halloween special Werewolf by Night back in 2022, which was released in both throwback black & white as well as full color. But are we ever getting a sequel?
Giacchino tells Screen Rant in a new chat this week that he remains hopeful.
“We’re talking about it,” Giacchino explains. “Everything takes forever to do. There’s a lot of planning that has to happen. Everything has to fit in a particular place at a particular time.”
He adds, “So, nothing moves as fast as we’d like it to. But I hope one day that you will be sitting there watching another Werewolf by Night. That’s my hope.”
Inspired by horror films of the ’30s and ’40s, Marvel Studios’ Werewolf by Night takes place on a dark and somber night as a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader.
In a strange memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Meagan Navarro wrote in her review for BD, “The MCU kicked the horror into overdrive with Werewolf by Night. The nearly hour-long feature presents as a classic horror movie, dropping viewers into the middle of a secret world of monster hunters. Film composer Michael Giacchino directs the special, penned by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron. Giacchino focuses on evoking the classic horror vibe to assist in the initial worldbuilding. The events play out in monochrome, save for the vibrant red glow of the Bloodstone. Cigarette burns and film grain get added for that retro look. The rules of the hunt get relayed to the cutthroat candidates by way of reanimated dead, albeit in a much campier and family-friendly way via animatronics.”
“Aside from the aesthetics, Werewolf leans heavily into the mysterious,” Meagan continued. “The black and white cinematography more than sets the retro vibe; it allows the feature to remain accessible to a wider audience even as it lets its monsters and monster hunters spill plenty of blood. Toss in a Jack Pierce-inspired beast with practical application, and you’ve got a modern superhero story with a classic Universal Monsters makeover.”