*****UPDATED!***** BUFFY HAS A 'GRUDGE'

While the last two seasons of the show weren't quite up to the former glory, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is still one of the greatest shows ever put on television (It's spinoff ANGEL has turned out to be an excellent show in its own right as well).

Since the end of the series, many have wondered what will become of the BUFFY players. Anthony Stewart Head continues to do work in Britain, although to my knowledge he has stayed away from the coffee commercials. Alyson Hannigan is prepping a sitcom. James Marsters has defected to ANGEL to join fellow BUFFY alums Alexis Denisof (Wesley), Mercedes McNab (Harmony) and perhaps our beloved Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia). So what about the Vampire Slayer herself?

Sarah Michelle Gellar has kept busy. She has wrapped the SCOOBY-DOO sequel to be released in April. Now, she has signed on to another project, one that is looking better all the time. She will be THE star in the American remake of JU-ON, a.k.a. THE GRUDGE. The original Japanese film is creating quite a buzz and has already been talked about in our reviews and in our forums.

What is also interesting about this film is that it is being directed by Takashi Shimizu, the writer-director of the original JU-ON. Not only that, he has remade this already - a guy who seems to like to fine tune his stuff or at least give different perspectives. Don't believe me? Just ask our own DevilMan or Tom Foster. Actually, ask them anything about Asian horror. The guys have encyclopedias in their brains and it's pretty damn impressive.

Anyway, back to GRUDGE, Shimizu will direct the film for Ghost House Pictures, the horror subsidiary of Senator Films that has become Sam Raimi's way of giving back to the genre that rocketed him into superstardom. Columbia will distribute the film for wide release. Also of great interest is that instead of filming in Hollywood, Romania or Toronto, the film will actually shoot in Shimizu's native Japan... at the legendary Toho Studios! Don't want to make an "East meets West" crack, but it seems like this is going to be a melding of two cinematic styles and is a remake that should peak your interest.

Looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar will have to bone up on her Japanese. Hmmm, maybe she wants to shoot a KILL BILL offshoot while she's there? Naaah...

**** UPDATE! ****

One thing Gellar won't be doing anytime soon is returning to the role that made her famous. Joss Whedon had offered Gellar the opportunity to reprise her Buffy role on ANGEL in two episodes this season. According to the IMDB, she has turned down this offer. In Whedon's words, "She feels it's not the right time." The article does not rule out a Gellar Buffy reprisal sometime in the future however. Anyone else wondering if we'll EVER find out what that mysterious unseen meeting between Buffy and Angel was all about? Anyone? Just me then? Never mind.

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Not enough self-promotion for you, than follow the link into our FORUMS and discuss the GRUDGE remake.

5 years ago (Dec 16, 2003)

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