Ju-On: The Grudge

Ju-On: The Grudge
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanji呪怨
Kanaじゅおん
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnJuon
Directed byTakashi Shimizu
Written byTakashi Shimizu
Produced byTaka Ichise
Starring
CinematographyTokusho Kikumura
Edited byNobuyuki Takahashi
Music byShiro Sato
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Tokyo Theatres
  • Xanadeux
Release dates
  • 18 October 2002 (2002-10-18) (Screamfest)
  • 23 August 2003 (2003-08-23) (Japan)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office$3.7 million

Ju-On: The Grudge is a 2002 Japanese supernatural horror film written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. It is the third installment in the Ju-On series and the first to be released theatrically (the first two being direct-to-video productions). It stars Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Takashi Matsuyama and Yui Ichikawa.

Ju-On: The Grudge premiered at the Screamfest Film Festival on 18 October 2002, by Lions Gate Films. The film received favourable reviews from critics, but was initially unfavourably compared to another Japanese horror film, Ring but subsequent reception has been more positive.

A sequel to the film titled Ju-on: The Grudge 2, also directed by Shimizu, was released in 2003.

It also spawned a franchise, an American remake, 2006 and 2009 sequels, a 2020 sidequel to the remake and a prequel television series entitled JU-ON: Origins, which premiered in 2020.