Paramount Pictures has delayed the release of the long-developedThe RingsequelRings(formerly known asThe Ring 3D), bumping it from the 2015 schedule. The third film in the supernatural horror franchise was originally slated to arrive in theaters on November 13th, and will now debut sometime in 2016. Though no new release date has been set, Variety reports that Rings will most likely hit theaters sometime in the first quarter of the year.
The move comes as a result of a few shake-ups in the calendar. Paramount moved theAdam McKay’sBrad PittandChristian Bale-led housing bubble dramaThe Big Shortinto this calendar year, along withCharlie Kaufman’s festival-acclaimed stop-motion dramaAnomalisa, which will bow at the end of December, just in time for an Oscar-qualifying run.
While it doesn’t exactly seem like a vote of confidence to bump a film off the yearly release schedule with no determined release date, but we’ll have to see where Paramount ultimately dates the film to read too much into that. In its original release date, Rings would have battled at the box office with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s drama By the Sea, the Christmas comedy Love the Coopers, and the Antonio Banderes led true-life inspired Chilean miners drama.
Directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall),RingsstarsJohnny Galeckialongside newcomersMatilda LutzandAlex Roe.Ringstakes place 13 years after the original film and offers the first installment in the franchise in nearly a decade. Not much is known about the story of the film beside the fact that it will presumably continue Samara’s reign of torment via videotape.
I was a huge fan ofThe Ringwhen it hit theaters back in 2002. It was smart, atmospheric, eerie as hell and introduced me into the world of J-horror. But after the abysmal failure ofThe Ring 2and the huge delay in gettingRingsoff the ground, I’m hesitant to have much faith in the film. However the short filmRingswas pretty legit, so there’s some benefit of the doubt.
What do you think? Excited for the new sequel? Skeptical now that they bumped it from the calendar? Still horrified by the sight of Katie’s mangled face in the closet? I am. Sound off in the comments below.
