Grudge 3 Gets an R, First Stills!

By Uncle Creepy
December 4th, 2008

You know, rarely do I get excited about sequels. I loved the Ju-on movies, but for whatever reason, even with creator Takashi Shimizu at the helm of the American remakes, they still felt kind of stale. With the upcoming release of Ghost House Pictures' The Grudge 3 from Sony, some interesting surprises have been popping up. The latest one? Gone is the PG-13 rating, and in its place the MPAA has granted this third U.S. entry an R rating, the first in the franchise's history.

The rating was earned "for violence, disturbing images, and some language"; and I can't say I'm surprised given that Splinter director Toby Wilkins is at the helm. This dude can do horror, and he's not shy about the onscreen action getting messy. Strap in, folks; we may finally be getting us a ghost story with some much needed bite!

Shawnee Smith, Matthew Knight, Beau Mirchoff, and Johanna E. Braddy star in the sequel that tells the tale of a young Japanese woman who believes that she finally knows how to put an end to the horrifying curse of Kayako and Toshio, but can she save a family in Chicago (where The Grudge 2 left off) before it's too late?

The film, which was penned by Brad (The Gravedancers) Keene, is set to hit direct-to-video sometime in 2009. A release date is pending. In the interim check out the stills below!

- Uncle Creepy