New York Comic Con 2019 THE GRUDGE Recap + Exclusive Video

Paul "Nomad" Nicholasi |

Oct 13, 2019

Another New York Comic Con has roared to a close, but we are just getting started wading through the con’s creepiest moments! First up, we’ll spend some time discussing director Nicolas Pesce and producer Sam Raimi’s further tales of The Grudge.

Right out of the gate, the filmmakers want the public to know that, as massive fans of the original series, they not only want to pay tribute to the mythology of those films but also expand on its foundations. They propose a curse like The Grudge would never remain in one place for long, and so the setting is now “Anywhere, America”, a little town that could be right next door. Film icon Lyn Shaye plays a woman slowly slipping into the chaos of dementia, making her a prime target for insidious, otherworldly forces. The crowd assembled at NYCC 2019 were treated to 2 clips from 2020’s The Grudge, both centering, primarily, around Shaye’s character.

In the first clip, a police detective (played by Andrea Riseborough) knocks at a door in a vacant, darkened hallway. She finds the door open and enters. Inside, she hears a muttering..almost a whimpering.. and is soon greeted by Shaye’s character, somewhat bloodied, looking incredibly worse for wear and missing a few fingers! She opens her mouth to laugh and her throat clicks remind us of the throat noises of the original Grudge creature. The sounds take us into a series of images, mostly of people looking panicked and ending with a very naked John Cho (which sent cheers and wooo’s through the audience from men and women alike) in the shower. As he washes his hair, dark fingers reach out from his head as if yelling WE REMEMBER WHAT YOU LOVE!! Later, I was told that shot was 100% practical.

The second clip shows Shaye in the same kitchen where we found her in the first clip. This time she is chopping furiously, muttering something about not having been fed or some such. Jacki Weaver enters and sees a man’s dead body lying beside a cabinet. She begins to yell WHAT DID YOU DO!! …and continues that a couple of times. We see Shaye is finely dicing her own fingers. The camera does NOT turn away. Lyn turns and replies “He was going to kill me!” End scene..with screaming of course.

After talking with the cast and director, we’ve gleaned the following facts:

Andrea Riseborough is our point of connection. She’s a Police Detective attempting to figure out who is behind the recent rash of violence in her district, obviously not immediately prepared to chalk it up to a raven-haired vengeance spirit.
John Cho and Betty Gilpin (of GLOW fame) are a young couple caught up in the Grudge’s curse.
The director was very sensitive to the past portrayals of people suffering from mental illness and was mindful when using it in his work.
From what was discussed, it seems like The Grudge might be more than just a murderous spirit. There is psychology involved, perhaps? How the intended victim finds themselves in the curse’s grip…what they perceive…what they believe in? Sounds like there is a cerebral element.
There will be no shortage of carnage!

During the panel, Sam Raimi was asked about the future of the Evil Dead franchise, either on the big screen or TV, which seems to be equally awesome for everyone these days. Raimi said more Evil Dead is on the way, but regrettably, without Bruce Campbell, who is sticking to Ash’s retirement plans. Raimi also mentioned he is writing a horror film with his brother Ivan, so be on the lookout for news on that soon!

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