Gather round, children, and I'll tell you a tale, a tale of a time when the spirits of young Japanese girls haunted movie theaters around the world.  The fad likely started with 1998's Ringu, a horror movie that inspired Gore Verbinski's 2002 film, The Ring.  That same year, writer-director Takashi Shimizu took the genre further with Ju-On: The Grudge.  True to form, that film was also remade in America, with Takashi again at the helm and Sarah Michelle Gellar in a starring role.  I tell you this because even though The Grudge managed to churn out a few sequels, the property is now headed for a total reboot with plans to build a new franchise.  Hit the jump for more.

Deadline reports that Ghost House Pictures and Good Universe will relaunch The Grudge with Jeff Buhler (Midnight Meat Train) drafting the script.  The low-budget horror film was the first in a series that focused on "the curse of a deceased family’s violent rage that destroys the lives of everyone who comes in contact with it."  Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise will produce, with Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane executive producing.  Check out the trailer for the original film below:

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