Sarah Michelle Gellar serves as a vital link between the two films, the first of which ended with her character attempting to burn down the house in the hope of destroying the vengeful Kayako. For The Grudge 2, the character of Aubrey, played by Tamblyn, travels to Japan to find out what really happened to her sister, setting the wheels in motion for the new thriller, in which Gellar’s character Karen “realizes she has lost her boyfriend, the love of her life, and is basically committed to a facility that is somewhere between a hospital and a mental institution,” says Gellar. “Anyone who saw the first movie will understand that everything Karen says is real, but to the characters on screen, she sounds a bit like she’s off her rocker.”
The only character who seems to think otherwise is Karen’s sister Aubrey. “Amber was a wonderful choice for the role,” according to Gellar. "I’ve known her since she was 13 years old and I’ve always thought there was a lot about us that is very similar — the way we interact with people, how we look at the world. I don’t think the producers were even aware of those similarities until they actually saw us together.”
“A Japanese ghost is always a woman with long black hair who wears a white kimono,” explains Shimizu, which explains the memorable character of Kayako from his Ju-On movies and The Grudge. As viewers of the films already know, Kayako’s black tresses engulf her victims wherever they may be — in bed, the shower — after which they soon succumb to the “Grudge” curse. “In old times, Japanese women took very good care of their hair. They thought that their long black hair had a soul and so it was very precious to them. A woman with disheveled hair, therefore, is a common representation for a ghost. Tousled hair expresses suppressed emotion, such as a deep grudge or rage, that a woman lets out in order to get her revenge.”
As for Kayako’s white kimono, Shimizu offers: “In Japan, after a person dies, we dress them in a white kimono before we put them into the coffin, thinking that the white clothing cleanses the soul of the dead so it can go to heaven. Then the body is cremated. When a dead soul appears as a ghost, it is usually wearing that burial outfit.” He admits that the combination of these two elements has resulted in a ghost that is unique and truly scary, not only for Japanese audiences, but around the world.
What makes The Grudge 2 different from the previous efforts, says screenwriter Susco, is that we learn much more about Kayako. “For everyone who thought they knew everything about her, The Grudge 2 will be an eye-opener. In this film we learn what makes Kayako tick. We come to understand her obsessive nature and how seeds that were planted in her past led to the fateful events we witnessed in The Grudge.”
The more we learn about Kayako, says Gellar, the more emotionally attached we become to the story. “In Japanese folklore, ghosts arise from unsettled emotions. That’s why it’s so satisfying when you finally understand Kayako’s anger and emotion.”
Movie Database
In Theaters
