The showdown between the cursed killers of the Ringu and Ju-On franchises will be featured later this year on Shudder, as the streaming service announced today that they have acquired North American rights to Sadako vs. Kayako ahead of the film's international premiere at TIFF this September:
Press Release: NEW YORK, August 10, 2016 --Shudder, the premium horror streaming service backed by AMC Networks, has picked up all North American rights to Sadako vs. Kayako, the crossover of the massive Japanese horror film franchises Ring (remade in the United States as The Ring) and Ju-on (known as The Grudge in the U.S.). The film is an epic showdown featuring the two iconic demons fighting each other in the ultimate battle of possession. It is scheduled to have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festival’s “Midnight Madness” genre program.
A Japanese supernatural horror film directed by Koji Shiraishi (director of Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman, Grotesque). Sadako vs. Kayako is a crossover of the long-running and massively popular Ring and Ju-on series of films - and this marks the 14th film for both the Ring series and the 12th film in the Ju-on series.
After viewing a legendary cursed videotape, Natsumi (Aimi Satsukawa) discovers she has only two days before she will be killed by the demonic entity known as Sadako. The only way to break the curse: pitting the demon Sadako against Kayako, an accursed spirit possessing a haunted house where everyone who enters disappears.
Sadako vs. Kayako has already made an early impression in North America after a video of Sadako and Kayako participating in the ceremonial pitch of a baseball game, tied to the Japanese release of the film, went viral. In June, Bloody Disgusting’s Brad Miska praised Sadako vs. Kayako, declaring it “a love letter to J-Horror”. The excitement and anticipation around the next installment in both franchises will soon extend to Shudder members later this year.
“As the home for the best in curated horror, we are excited to bring this fun-packed face-off between two worldwide horror icons exclusively to North American Audiences,” said Linda Pan, General Manager, Shudder. The film will have a festival run throughout the Autumn and will get a multi-platform release in late 2016, when it will stream exclusively on Shudder.
About Shudder
Shudder is a premium streaming video service, serving horror fans with expertly curated worldwide programming ranging from hard-to-find independent films to cult grindhouse classics to Hollywood blockbusters. Shudder has something for everyone, from the casual fan to the hardcore horror devotee. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder’s growing library of curated horror is available ad-free and for unlimited viewing on Shudder’s website, mobile apps for iOS and Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Roku platform with a free one week trial or $4.99 monthly/ $49.99 yearly membership. To sign up or learn more about Shudder, visit www.shudder.com.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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