Japanese horror icons will face off in Sadako vs. Kayako

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

This past June saw the Japanese release of JU-ON: THE FINAL, the eighth (not counting the American remake THE GRUDGE and its two sequels) and supposedly last entry in the JU-ON franchise. Well, JU-ON may be over, but the vengeful spirit at the center of the franchise, Kayako, is set to return to the screen next June, and she'll be battling another icon of Japanese horror when she does.

Kayako's opponent will be Sadako, the vengeful spirit at the center of the RINGU franchise.

Kōji Shiraishi is directing SADAKO VS. KAYAKO, with actress Mizuki Yamamoto making her horror genre debut as Yūri Kurahashi, a young woman with a strong sense of justice who is unlucky enough to find herself in the middle of the evil spirit face-off.

The idea for the film began as an April Fool's Day joke – the JU-ON: THE FINAL marketing team created a fake THE RING vs. JU-ON website last April 1st – but the fan response was so enthusiastic that the decision was made to turn the concept into a reality.

I'm not big on J-horror and haven't seen any RINGU past the original, but the idea of SADAKO VS. KAYAKO is enticing to me. I'm a sucker for a crossover.