Horror, Thriller
Synopsis
Following a terrible accident in Japan, a newlywed photographer (Joshua Jackson) and his wife (Rachael Taylor) see ghostly images in the pictures they develop.
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, Megumi Okina, David Denman, John Hensley, Maya Hazen, James Kyson Lee, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Kei Yamamoto, Daisy Betts, Adrienne Pickering, Eri Otoguro
Producer(s): Vertigo, New Regency Pictures
Crew: Director - Masayuki Ochiai, Writer - Luke Dawson, Producer - Roy Lee, Producer - Doug Davison, Producer - Takashige Ichise, Executive Producer - Arnon Milchan, Executive Producer - Sonny Mallhi, Executive Producer - Gloria Fan, Cinematographer - Katsumi Yanagijima, Production Design - Norifumi Ataka, Film Editor - Michael Knue, Film Editor - Tim Alverson, Original Music - Nathan Barr, Costume Designer - Donna Isaacson, Casting - Christian Kaplan, Art Director - Ayaki Takagi, Set Decoration - Fumiaki Suzaka
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 03/21/2008
Running Time: 85 minutes
OFFICIAL SITE
| PG-13 | Parents Strongly Cautioned |
Production Notes:
- Notes provided by 20th Century Fox. -
A recent poll conducted by CNN revealed that one third of the people believed in ghosts, and that many of those claim they've seen one. At the same time, interest in spirit photography -- events in which images of the dead are caught on film -- has never been higher.
The phenomenon is as old as photography itself, dating back to the 1860s. Spirit photography has been riddled with controversy and fraud, yet many believe it to be one of the few methods of capturing ghostly phenomenon that approaches scientific methodology. Magazines devoted to spirit photography proliferate throughout Asia, and new internet sites devoted to the subject spring up every day. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art recently hosted an exhibit devoted to spirit photography, called "The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult."
This intriguing and foreboding subject is a key element of the psychological thriller SHUTTER, from executive producers of "The Grudge" and "The Ring." In SHUTTER, a newly married couple discovers disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, they investigate, only to learn that some mysteries are better left unsolved -- and that a past mistake can lead to an eternity of vengeance.
For photographer Ben (Joshua Jackson) and his new wife Jane (Rachael Taylor), his new assignment -- a lucrative fashion shoot in Tokyo -- was supposed to be a kind of working honeymoon. With this exotic professional opportunity and the limitless possibilities of a new marriage, Ben and Jane arrive in Japan. But as they make their way on a mountain road leading to Mt. Fuji, their new life together comes to, literally, a crashing halt. Their car smashes into a woman standing in the middle of the road, who has materialized out of nowhere. Upon regaining consciousness after the accident, Ben and Jane cannot find any trace of the girl Jane believes she hit with the car.
Shaken by the accident and by the girl's disappearance, Ben and Jane arrive in Tokyo, where Ben begins his glamorous assignment. Having worked in Japan before and fluent in the language, Ben is comfortable there, and he eagerly reunites with old friends and colleagues. Jane, a newcomer to the city, feels very much like a stranger in a strange land as she makes tentative, unsettling forays through the city.
Ben, meanwhile, has discovered mysterious white blurs -- eerily evocative of a human form -- that have materialized on an entire day's work from the expensive photo shoot. Jane's concerns escalate as she believes the blurs in Ben's photos are the dead girl from the road, who is now seeking vengeance for them leaving her to die...
Regency Enterprises Presents A New Regency / Vertigo Entertainment / Ozla Pictures Production, SHUTTER. The film stars Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor. It is directed by Masayuki Ochiai from a screenplay by Luke Dawson. The film is produced by Taka Ichise, Roy Lee and Doug Davison, and the executive producers are Arnon Milchan, Sonny Mallhi and Gloria Fan. Katsumi Yanagijima is the director of photographjy, Norifumi Ataka is the production designer, and Michael N. Knue, A.C.E. and Tim Alverson are the film editors. Music is by Nathan Barr, and the music supervisors are Dave Jordan and JoJo Villanueva.
SHUTTER is based on the 2004 film of the same name, which became the highest grossing film in Thailand. The horror-thriller was directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom. Its story is simplicity itself: a girl suddenly appears, gets hit by a car and disappears, only to return to haunt the perpetrators. But with its many twists and shocks, the film subverted audience expectations, revealing itself to be much more than a simple ghost story.
The film's enormous success in Thailand did not translate overseas, because some of its references had meaning only in the context of Thai culture and perceptions. Looking to make the story more accessible to American and Japanese audiences, esteemed producer Taka Ichise, along with Vertigo Entertainment's Sonny Mallhi, Roy Lee and Doug Davison, and New Regency Productions' Sanford Panitch and Alexandra Sundell, conceived a new version of SHUTTER. Their SHUTTER, while always respecting the original work, would be reimagined with an American starring cast and a Japanese director. And it would be filmed entirely in Japan.
Regency's Sundell and Vertigo's Mallhi and Lee (whose credits include "The Departed" and "The Ring") worked closely with screenwriter Luke Dawson on the screenplay for the new SHUTTER. Dawson's as-yet unproduced adaptation of the famed Japanese manga "Lone Wolf and Cub," had impressed Regency; he also had a professional relationship with noted filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, who had directed Regency's "The Fountain."
Dawson was eager to dive into the phenomenon of spirit photography, which has long had a huge following in Asia, and was making significant inroads in U.S. culture. To aid in his research, Dawson and some of the other filmmakers visited the MET's "The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult" exhibit.
Additionally, Dawson replaced the film's original setting, New York City, with Tokyo. (The film is bookended with sequences set in Brooklyn.) "An important part of the story is Jane's feeling out of place in her new surroundings," says Dawson, "so it made sense to set the film outside the U.S. Tokyo is the perfect setting for this story, in which Jane feels like she's surrounded by chaos, and is unable to fully comprehend the situation into which she's been thrown. American audiences don't see a lot of the inner workings of Tokyo, so we had a lot of fun capturing how the city would seem strange to an outsider."
As work continued on the script, producer Taka Ichise, whose numerous genre credits include "The Grudge" and "The Grudge 2," approached Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai ("Infection") to direct SHUTTER. Ichise explains: "On the surface, the Thai version of `Shutter' doesn't really tie in with Japan or its culture because it was made in Thailand, by Thais, for the Thai people. Yet after re-watching it, I came to realize how certain elements, such as its depiction of the ghost and of spirit photography, were similar to Japanese horror. It was then I chose Ochiai to direct because I knew he could find ways to make a very good film for both American and Japanese audiences."
Like Dawson, Ochiai was intrigued by spirit photography and eager to boost its burgeoning presence in the West. "Japanese audiences are very familiar with it," he explains. "Everyone in Japan at one point or another has had a sleepless night after being exposed to spirit photography.
"Spirit photography is so popular in Japan because ghosts mean more to the Japanese people than to Americans," he continues. "In Japan, ghosts don't have to do anything to be scary. In American ghost stories, they have to wreak all kinds of havoc [to make an impact]."
While Ochiai won't admit to any recent ghostly encounters, he says he faced some "reel"-life terrors when prepping the movie -- namely, a principal cast whose native tongue he didn't speak. "I had nightmares about the difficulties that would come with working with actors whose language I don't know," says Ochiai. "But my fears went away at our first rehearsal, when I realized we had a wonderful interpreter, and that everyone was moving toward the same goal. It was so seamless that I always felt like I was talking directly with the actors."
Joshua Jackson also has high praise for the interpreter, Chiho Asada. "Chiho was a miracle because she was able to take our slightly flighty actor talk and translate it into director talk," he says with a laugh.
Jackson, best known to audiences for his role in the long-running series "Dawson's Creek" and who was recently named the lead in Fox's high-profile sci-fi series, "Fringe," produced by J.J. Abrams, joined the starring cast as Ben. Rachael Taylor, who had just completed a key role in "Transformers," would play Jane. They were joined by David Denman ("The Office," "Saint of Circumstances") as Bruno, the agency head who's brought his friend Ben over to Japan for the photo shoot, John Hensley, who stars in the series "Nip/Tuck" and the provocative indie film "Teeth," as Adam, a lascivious manager of models, and James Kyson Lee ("Heroes") as Ritsuo, the editor-in-chief of a spirit magazine publication.
Rachael Taylor's Jane is a kind of surrogate for the audience, for it is through Jane's eyes that they will experience many of the film's chilling moments. Taylor notes that Jane's journey through an unfamiliar and ultimately terrifying landscape also mirrored the actress's experiences in Tokyo shooting the movie. "I'm a country girl, so Tokyo was a complete other world for me," says Taylor, who hails from a small town in Tasmania. "Tokyo has a very different kind of frenetic pace that you find in the U.S. -- or anywhere --even in New York City.
"I had some serious `Lost in Translation' moments while filming SHUTTER," Taylor continues. "I think it's similar to what Jane goes through in the film. She's very much out of her depth and desperately trying to cope with a culture she's unfamiliar with." Looking for an even stronger connection with her character, Taylor reinforced her own sense of isolation and disorientation by making sure not to assimilate into the Tokyo lifestyle.
Jane's new husband Ben is far more comfortable with his surroundings, having lived in Japan for several years, prior to meeting to Jane. "Ben is supposed to be comfortable enough in this world, that he's able to navigate it with a fair amount of ease," says Jackson. "Jane is the stranger in a strange land who doesn't know how to find her place."
Both Jackson and Taylor got a quick and intense immersion in the world of spirit photography. "That phenomenon was one of the major ideas that [director Masayuki] Ochiai really wanted to convey," says Jackson. "It's such an important concept in Japanese culture, and it's accepted and well-known everywhere there. We [in the U.S.] think of ghosts as floating, ephemeral spirits. But in Japan, ghosts are taken much more seriously, and they take on a more physical presence."
Taylor says she is a spirit photography skeptic but became more open to the idea during production. "I am a believer in the existence of certain energies. And I like what SHUTTER has to say about energy or emotion being able to make itself heard. That makes sense to me -- if something is really strong, it will find a way to materialize or send a message."
But it was more than the idea of spirits caught on film that drew the actors to the project. "I really appreciated the evolving dynamic between this young couple," says Jackson. "The relationship seemed real and livable; then, of course, they're thrown into a terrifying scenario." During production, Jackson and Taylor had significant input into delineating their characters, a fact much appreciated by their director. "Joshua and Rachael had a lot of great ideas and came up with some wonderful unscripted moments," says Ochiai. "For example, they devised this kind of secret physical contact between the two characters, little things that two newlyweds would share. They're not `big' actions, but are very important to the characters."
The two actors came to admire Ochiai's skill in building on the screenplay's scares and thrills. "Ochiai has this ability to set a mood and create tension throughout the story," says Jackson. "As actors, we worked with him to create the scary moments -- and have the audience join us for the ride." Adds Taylor: "Ochiai has a really good eye for what's authentically scary -- and that translates to all audiences."
The sets and surroundings added interesting touches to the filmmaking, sometimes in unexpected ways. "There was some construction going on outside the stages," recalls Taylor of one memorable incident. "We noticed that whenever a crane would move, some eerie music from `The Omen' would play. That's gotta mean something!"
Some traditional Japanese on-set customs also made an impact on the American cast members. David Denman recalls that "when Ochiai called, `Action,' every member of the crew dropped to the ground, hoping to stay out of our eye line. It's a very generous gesture, but I never really got used to it. I'm used to having a big crew standing around looking at me!"
Some interiors were filmed at the famed studios of the Toho Company Ltd., home to many of the films of Akira Kurosawa -- and to "Godzilla" and "Mothra." When the studio opened its doors in 1932, its floors were made of dirt, and each Toho-based production would begin with a ritual where a priest or monk would pour water on the floor to ward off spirits. The stages have long since been renovated, but the ritual continues to be performed. "It was really lovely to witness these little blessings for SHUTTER," says Taylor.
After principal photography wrapped in Tokyo, post-production work commenced in Los Angeles. Editors Michael N. Knue, A.C.E and Tim Alverson worked closely with Ochiai and producer Taka Ichise to create a final cut that maximized the tension and scares. "We spent a lot of time on getting the pacing right," says Knue, a veteran of numerous genre films, including Hideo Nakata's "The Ring 2," produced by Ichise. "SHUTTER moves along at a terrific clip without turning into a conventionally¬paced action film. We keep the pacing fast enough so that when it does slow down, you really feel that something is going to happen."
Knue credits sound designer Chuck Michael with helping to solve an editorial challenge involving a key sequence in which a principal character is tormented by a ghost; the character is shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by sudden and explosive camera flashes. First, Knue studied the comparable sequence in the original Thai film. "I realized that the scene was scary [in the Thai `Shutter'] not because of what you see, but because of what you hear," Knue explains. "I decided that our scene was too quiet, and Chuck came in and designed the sound in such a way that it starts off with a shock, then dips a little, then becomes like an aggressive monster coming after [the character]."
These kind of visceral and psychological shocks are the film's hallmarks. But Ochiai insists that SHUTTER also conveys important Eastern-based ideas about the impossibility of redemption and the nature of evil. "I'm reminded of an old saying from China, which says `Heaven's net is very rough, but it still catches evil.'"
Put another way: "The law or social system might forgive, but there are entities out there that will not."
ABOUT THE CAST
JOSHUA JACKSON (Ben) is currently shooting the lead role in J.J. Abrams' new sci-fi television show "Fringe," which will premiere on FOX this year. He recently completed shooting the independent Canadian feature film "One Week."
Jackson enjoyed a successful run on London's West End starring in "A Life In The Theatre" alongside Patrick Stewart. The acclaimed comedy was written by David Mamet. Additionally, he starred in Regent Films' "Aurora Borealis," as a troubled young man opposite Donald Sutherland and Juliette Lewis.
Well known as "Dawson's Creek's" fast-talking, self-deprecating Pacey Witter, Jackson has been working in front of the camera for over fifteen years. His first feature film was Michael Bortman's "Crooked Hearts," which was quickly followed by the "Mighty Ducks" trilogy, "Digger" and "Andre the Seal." In 2000, Jackson starred in Universal Pictures' "The Skulls," and more recently in Rose Troche's acclaimed drama "The Safety of Objects," the HBO Films version of Moises Kaufman's groundbreaking play "The Laramie Project." He had noted cameos in Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11," "Scream 2," "Urban Legend," and "I Love Your Work." His additional feature film credits include "Cursed," "Gossip," Bryan Singer's "Apt Pupil" and "Cruel Intentions."
Jackson, a Vancouver native, divides his time between his hometown and Los Angeles.
RACHAEL TAYLOR (Jane) starred in last summer's explosive hit "Transformers" directed by Michael Bay. The film, based on the popular 1980s action figure franchise, tells the story of dueling alien races, the Autobots and the Decepticons. They bring their battle to Earth, leaving the future of humankind hanging in the balance. The DreamWorks produced film was released by Paramount Pictures and was the second highest grossing film of 2007.
Taylor recently completed shooting the independent film, "Bottle Shock" in Napa Valley for director Randall M. Miller. Co-starring Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman, "Bottle Shock" takes place in 1970 and is based on the true story of the birth of Napa Valley wine country. Taylor portrays a university student who interns at the winery. "Bottle Shock" was an Official Selection of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
While studying politics and history at the University of Sydney, Taylor landed her first break on an Australian television show called "headLand." For her role as Sasha Forbes, Taylor earned a nomination for a Logie Award for Most Popular New Female Talent in 2006.
Taylor grew up in Launceston, Tasmania. She currently resides in Los Angeles.
DAVID DENMAN (Bruno) was a series regular on NBC's Emmy® winning show "The Office," for which he received a Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of the irascible warehouse worker Roy. Denman can next be seen in the Weinstein Company's comedy "Fanboys" and in the Miramax film "Smart People," the latter also starring Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church and Sara Jessica Parker.
Many remember Denman from his big screen debut with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman as the deaf tight end in the Warner Bros. football comedy "The Replacements," and for the Spyglass/Disney snowboard comedy "Out Cold," in which he played the sexually confused bartender Lance. Denman's other feature credits include Screen Gems remake of "When a Stranger Calls," and "Big Fish," directed by Tim Burton, starring Ewan McGregor.
On television, Denman starred in USA Network's movie of the week "The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story" with Dean Cain. He has appeared on numerous series including "Close to Home," "Without A Trace," "Bones," "Crossing Jordan," "C.S.I Miami," "The X-Files," "E.R.," "Arli$$," and, most notably, as Skip the Demon on "Angel." Additionally, Denman has been seen in the NBC Miniseries "The 60's" and in the TV movie "A Vow to Cherish" with Ken Howard, Barbara Babcock, and Ossie Davis.
On stage, Denman has performed at South Coast Repertory, Laguna Playhouse, Shakespeare Orange County, Shakespeare on the Sound, Utah Shakespearean Festival, and the Chautauqua Theater Company in such plays as "Bus Stop," "As You Like It," "But Not For Me," "Twelfth Night," "Henry IV part I," "The Winter's Tale," "Three Musketeers," "The Tempest," "The Seagull," and "The House of Blue Leaves."
Denman grew up all over Southern California attending 8 different schools and was fortunate enough to end up at Fountain Valley High School were fellow classmates included "Hustle and Flow" writer/director Craig Brewer and "Munich" actor Omar Metwally. After high school, David attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before he received his B.F.A. from the Juilliard School in N.Y.C.
Denman most recently booked the lead role in the FOX pilot "Saint of Circumstances" under the direction of Zach Braff.
JOHN HENSLEY (Adam), once a horse-wrangler in Wyoming, has seamlessly transitioned from performing in the rodeo arena to roping a career in television and the big screen. Hensley is making a name for himself as one of Hollywood's up-and-coming young actors, starring opposite Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, and Joely Richardson, as Matt McNamara, on the award-winning FX Network series "Nip/Tuck." The series, currently in its fifth season, has already garnered a multitude of awards including a total of five Emmy nominations, five Golden Globe® nominations, and the 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, Drama.
For the big screen, Hensley stars in the recently-released independent feature film, "Teeth," which debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival, directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. Hensley also stars in the independent film, "50 Pills," which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. It was written by Matthew Perniciaro and directed by Theo Avgerinos for October Night Productions. Hensley stars opposite Lou Taylor Pucci ("Thumbsucker") in this comedy about a college student who, after losing his scholarship, must sell 50 pills in a day in order to make his tuition payment. Hensley also filmed "Peoples" for writer/director Joseph Ardery, as the lead character in the coming of age drama about troubled youths in Kentucky. The 2004 film visited numerous festivals, taking home the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and the award for Best Full Feature at the Pocono Mountains Film Festival in Pennsylvania.
In 1999, Hensley made his television debut on Comedy Central's cult hit "Strangers With Candy." He went on to land the memorable role of Meadow's high school boyfriend on HBO's award-winning series "The Sopranos." Hensley also played the lead opposite Gabriel Byrne in ABC's highly acclaimed but short-lived series "Madigan Men," under the direction of Emmy award-winner Jim Burrows, as well as the role of Gabriel Bowman in TNT's series "Witchblade." He also guest starred on the CBS drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
After graduating high school in Kentucky, Hensley spent three years in Wyoming as a horse-wrangler before deciding to pursue his passion for acting. He then attended Fort Lewis College in Colorado where he studied humanities and immersed himself in the theater community. Together with friends he formed an improv group that became so successful it was invited to perform with Chicago's famed Second City Theatre Troupe. Despite his strong ties to his southern roots, John Hensley now calls California his home. He resides in Los Angeles.
JAMES KYSON LEE (Ritsuo) stars as Ando on NBC's critically acclaimed hit drama "Heroes."
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee moved with his family to New York City at the age of 10. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science and continued his education at Boston University and New England Institute of the Arts where he studied communications and broadcasting.
After trying out improv and inspired by his newly discovered passion for performing, Lee sold his used car for $1800 in the summer of 2001 and purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, where he began his training in music, dance, and acting.
At his first small screen audition, he landed a guest-starring role on "J.A.G.," and has since appeared on "Las Vegas," "The West Wing," "Heist," "Threat Matrix" and "All About the Andersons."
Lee stars in three other feature films to be released this year: "Necrosis," "Then There's the Afterlife" and "Destiny," the latter directed by Matthew Vaughn.
A student of improvisation and sketch comedy at The Groundlings, UCB and I.O. West, Lee also enjoys playing basketball and the piano, as well as reading biographies and watching documentaries.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
MASAYUKI OCHIAI (Director) previously helmed the noted genre films "Infection" and "Hypnosis." SHUTTER marks his helming debut on an American production with an English-speaking cast.
LUKE DAWSON (Screenplay) wrote an as-yet-unproduced adaptation of the popular Japanese manga "Lone Wolf and Cub." SHUTTER is his first produced screenplay.
TAKA ICHISE (Producer), producer of such internationally acclaimed horror films as "Ring," "Dark Water" and "The Grudge," has been instrumental in establishing the recent worldwide Japanese film trend and has sold English-language remake rights for five films to date. Since 1984, the genre king, now known as a "Horror King," has not only produced more than 50 films, but has also set box-office records in both Japan and Asia.
Ichise first found recognition as a producer with "To Sleep So As To Dream" ("Yumemiruyouni Nemuritai"), a fantasy thriller, which won accolades at both the New York and Venice Film Festivals. In 1987, he produced "Tokyo the Last Megalopolis" ("Teito Monogatari"), a sci-fi film, which earned high marks both at the Japanese box-office and on video sales. The feature was subsequently made into an animated video series, "Doomed Megalopolis" ("Teito Monogatari"), which became a cult hit in its international release. A joint-venture film between Japan and Hong Kong followed: the sci-fi action film "The Peacock King" ("Kujakuoh"), which again scored at the Japanese box-office and on video sales.
Ichise launched his own production company, Oz Co., Ltd., in 1989 and in 1992 established Los Angeles-based OZLA Pictures, Inc., as an independent production company. Ichise has produced eight films under the banner to date, including the action film "American Yakuza," starring Viggo Mortensen, which became a huge video success in the UK and Australia; action thriller "No Way Back," starring Russell Crowe and distributed by Columbia TriStar; and Christopher Gans' action thriller "Crying Freeman," starring Mark Dacascos, which climbed to number one at the box office in both France and South Korea.
In 1997, Ichise produced the acclaimed horror masterpiece "Ring," directed by horror master Hideo Nakata, which was based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, the "Stephen King" of Japan. "Ring" became a huge hit, also establishing a new box-office record for Japanese films in many countries including Hong Kong and Taiwan. "Ring" won Best Film and Best Visual Effects at Sitges in 1999 as well as several other international film festival awards. Its sequel "Ring 2," also directed by Nakata, doubled box-office sales of Ichise's former effort.
Dreamworks produced an English-language remake of "Ring," directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts. "The Ring" cumed USD $129 million in the U.S. after debuting at number one at the box-office during its first week of release in 2002. Dreamworks' American sequel, "The Ring 2," had original "Ring" director Hideo Nakata helm with Naomi Watts again attached to star. The film was released in 2005 all over the world and again took the first place at the U.S. box -office.
Demonstrating his versatility, Ichise has also produced a number of Asian films including the 1998 Hong Kong romantic thriller "Moonlight Express" ("Mouichido Aitakute"), starring Leslie Cheung; the 2001 release of the Hong Kong romantic thriller "Bullets of Love," directed by Andrew Lau and the 100% Korean-financed drama "Last Scene," which was directed by Hideo Nakata and released in 2002.
The martial arts fantasy "The Princess Blade" ("Shurayukihime") followed with action sequences directed by Hong Kong specialist Donnie Yen. The film screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002 and received critical acclaim upon its release in the U.S.
The international hit horror thrillers and festival favorites "Ju-on" and "Ju-on 2" are based on the cult classic video series also produced by Ichise. Mandate Pictures and Ghost House Pictures picked up the English-language remake rights with Ichise and Sam Raimi producing. Takashi Shimizu, who directed both Japanese versions, helmed "The Grudge" remake in his English-language debut. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, the film was widely released by Columbia Pictures in the U.S. in 2004. The film ruled the U.S. box office and collected an impressive $110 million in the U.S. market alone. The same producing team reunited with Shimizu for "The Grudge 2." It was released during Halloween, 2006 and it ruled the U.S. box office again.
Disney-partner Pandemonium picked up the remake rights for Ichise's multi-award-winning horror film "Dark Water" ("Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara"). The American remake of the same name was directed by Walter Salles, starred Jennifer Connolly and was released in 2005 by Buena Vista.
As a unique global filmmaker, Ichise continues to surprise the international audience with fresh, intriguing, and well-crafted films in English and Japanese. He is currently working on "Shutter" at New Regency, which was directed by Masayuki Ochiai and is scheduled to hit U.S. theatres on March 21, 2008 and a Japanese language action adventure "Goemon" directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, which will be released in Japan in January of 2009.
ROY LEE (Producer) earned his first motion picture producing credit as executive producer on Gore Verbinski's 2002 blockbuster "The Ring." He went on to produce the 2004 haunted house horror "The Grudge," based on the 2000 Japanese film "Ju-On" directed by Takashi Shimizu. "The Grudge" currently holds the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time for a horror film upon its October 2004 release. "The Grudge 2," released in 2006, starring Amber Tamblyn and Sarah Michelle Gellar, directed by Takashi Shimizu, topped the box office at $22 million in its opening weekend. October 2006 saw the release of "The Departed," a crime thriller at Warner Bros., directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film grossed $27 million in its opening weekend, making it Scorsese's biggest opening ever. The film went on to win four Academy Awards, inclu
