Yep, you read that right. Audiences love seeing properties pitted against one another, apparently, with Freddy vs Jason, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and a Godzilla vs King Kong on the way as evidence. So now Japan is getting into the act, bringing the ghosts from two of that country’s most popular film franchises together in Sadako vs Kayako. Ringu and Ju-On were incredibly popular once, and have spawned many sequels and remakes, but never did I see a crossover coming. In fact, the idea started as an April Fool’s joke between some filmmakers, but the idea proved popular enough that they decided to go ahead with the film. It is in production now, and from this teaser looks to be as creepy as the films it draws its ghosts from.
Directed by Kōji Shiraishi (Grotesque) and starring Mizuki Yamamo, Sadako vs. Kayako follows Yūri Kurahashi, who is caught between Kayako Saeki and Sadako Yamamura. The film is a separate production without input from the Ju-on series creator (Takashi Shimizu) nor the Ring series creator (Koji Suzuki). Can this recapture the magic of the original two films and bring back a resurgence of J-Horror films to American screens? I guess we’ll find out.
Sadako vs Kayako is set for a June 2016 release date.