So the lead character has a dream that Karen does a quick cameo in, then!

Apocalypse | January 28, 20:10 CET

"In some capacity, perhaps she might."

Ouch. That doesn't sound good. Not quite what I expected.

"So the lead character has a dream that Karen does a quick cameo in, then!"

That's what I was thinking! Or we see a short flashback. Or maybe this time she's one of the ghosts. Briefly...

EdDantes | January 28, 20:55 CET

Or maybe we only see the back of "Karen" now being played by some unknown actress...

Firefly Flanatic | January 28, 21:07 CET

If we look at the full quote is is not quite as cut and dried. In fact, it comes across as a little tongue-in-cheek, throwaway remark.

"Oh, ho, ha, ha!" Tapert intones. "I can't tell you right now. It still takes place in Japan, let me put it this way. It still takes place on Earth! It's set in Tokyo. In some capacity, perhaps she might [return]."

Without actually being present when these words were spoken it is impossible to know how they were spoken, what inflection was in his voice. However, reading them on the page I simply get the impression that negotiations of some kind are taking place.

Gellar is attending the Tokyo premiere for 'The Grudge' on 02 February and will be participating in a Q&A session prior to the film being shown. I'm sure that she and her people are looking after her interests as far as an appearance in the sequel goes, but I don't imagine any great conspiracy is taking place.

It's fine sending out snippets of information to keep people interested, but ultimately it can just end up causing gossip and speculation, which is often of little use to anybody.

alien lanes | January 28, 21:13 CET

Or maybe we only see the back of "Karen" now being played by some unknown actress...

Someone else pretending to be a character played by SMG?? Why, I've never heard of such a thing! ;~P

Rogue Slayer | January 28, 22:05 CET

I think you're a more optimistic person than I, dashboardprophet. Whatever tone I imagine that line being said in, it doesn't change one iota of the meaning for me. And really not only is the return itself dubbed 'perhaps' but even if she returns it's only to be 'in some capacity'.

Kind of sounds like they're going a different direction with the story. Which is also suggested in the rest of the article. I smell a cameo myself.

EdDantes | January 28, 22:06 CET

Cameo would be perfect. Gives continuity, SMG gets another trip to Tokyo, and yet she can still hope to avoid being saddled with the predictable label "scream-queen" (or "sequel screamer"?) once again. In my book, sequels are just not a recipe for artistic success or fulfillment, Godfather, Alien, and, erm, Star Trek, aside.

SoddingNancyTribe | January 28, 22:35 CET

SoddingNancyTribe, i agree with you about The Godfather Part Two, which of course gave us the incredible "sleeping with the fishes" line, but Part Three? Not the best it could have been. There were classic moments in it, but it really wasnt on par with the First Sequel

Apocalypse | January 28, 22:52 CET

I think a sequel (with SMG) is not needed. I like the movie a lot, but the story they want to tell with Karen, is done.

If they want to start in a new direction, ok.

Angel TheVampire | January 28, 23:07 CET

True, she can escape typecasting this way. However, I prefer the japanese versions of the Grudge movies and with Sarah out of the picture (literally) I probably have little incentive to go to the american Grudge II. But that's just for me personally obviously. And I can't expect her to be in the 2nd movie just for little old me. Or can I....??;-)

And Apocalypse, I think SNT just meant that those movie series had good sequels. Not that *all* their sequels were good. Personally I don't look beyond the second Alien movie either.

(And then there are of course movies like Highlander II.....and III....and IV....*shiver*.)

EdDantes | January 29, 00:03 CET

Spoilers for the Grudge, here:

I agree, Angel. I don't think that SMG should be in the sequel - both for the reason you said and because I'd like to think that Karen died at the end of the Grudge. It would bother me much in the same way that The Ring sequel bothers me. Granted, I don't know what happens in Ring 2, but it seems like there's no reason it should be about the same characters again.

weatherby | January 29, 00:18 CET

I think you're a more optimistic person than I, dashboardprophet.

I see myself as an easy going, optimistic kind of a guy, although my wife assures me that I am a bad tempered, grumpy old git, and my kids just think I live to embarrass them!

In terms of 'The Grudge 2', if SMG makes a cameo appearance that will be fine for me, if she has the lead role that will be fine, and if she isn't involved at all that will also be fine. I like what I've seen of Takashi Shimizu's work so far and I will make a point of going to see this film, whether or not SMG is featured.

alien lanes | January 29, 00:31 CET

There is a reason Ring 2 can be about the same characters again. Folowing the basic plot of the original Ring 2, just like they did with The Ring. That seems to be what's happening with that franchise so far. I'm really interested in what they come up with.

electricspacegirl | January 29, 00:42 CET

I haven't seen the original Ring 2, only Ringu, so thanks for clearing that up!

weatherby | January 29, 00:44 CET

Grudge Spoiler

Why the snarky attitude about SMG appearing or not appearing in a sequel when the first movie is ambiguous about the fate of her character

garda39 | January 29, 02:50 CET

Maybe she can do a cameo like the one in the Boreanaz-directed episode of Angel season 5? :-) The could even use canned Buffy voiceovers in that! *snigger*

Mort | January 29, 03:15 CET

SPOILERS for The Grudge and I Know What You Did Last Summer


They can do the same that they do in I Still Know What...
I Know What... ending was a dream. If they do that, i´ll hate it. It´s a stupid way to continue. I prefer Jennifer Love´s character to die at the end (I love her, but the dream explanation is very poor).

[ edited by Angel TheVampire on 2005-01-29 02:40 ]

Angel TheVampire | January 29, 04:38 CET

SMG won't. It would be bad for her career.

charisma | January 29, 07:49 CET

If the movie is as succesfull as the first one there is no reason to think that a role in it would be bad for her career, with all the same people involved at least there should be some hope that it might be a good film.
Doing some other films in between will help with the "sequelitis" where the consensus seems to be that it doesn't usually lead to good films.

Apocalypse, if my memory doesn't fail me the line "sleeping with the fishes" does come from the first Godfather film but part II is indeed superb.

My interpretation :

this one is going in a new direction
That way we can include SMG in the story, cause we'd like to if we can agree on time and money.

In some capacity, perhaps she might [return]
We want to have at least a cameo maybe more se above re. time and money.
We saw the pictures of SMG in EW, she'd make a really scary ghost.

jpr | January 29, 16:49 CET

The sequel won't be as successfull. It won't be as sucessful either. Half the people who saw it didn't like it. It will be another Scooby Doo 2 in terms of her career if she does. Leave while you're on top. She's quoted as saying that and that's why she won't be part of the sequel.

charisma | January 30, 12:28 CET