The Ring is actually not about a Lord-of-the-Rings-type ring but rather a cursed videotape. When a reporter's niece dies she investigates and discovers something interesting about the tape: Anybody who watches dies seven days later. Admittedly, this might seem like a cheesy premise but then many of the best horror films don't sound much better in a synopsis: spend a night in a haunted house (The Haunting), build a companion for a monster (Bride of Frankenstein), the dead rise to attack the living (Night of the Living Dead). The difference is all in the execution.
One of the highlights of The Ring will be seeing Naomi Watts in her first film since she gave one of the all-time great performances in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. The director is Gore Verbinski (The Mexican) working from a script by Ehren Kruger who showed a knack for twists in Arlington Road and Reindeer Games. According to early reports, Kruger has changed enough of the story that fans of the original will still be surprised without losing any of the expected creepiness.
Work on the remake started in April 2001 when Dreamworks outbid Disney for the rights. Filming was originally to be in Boston but after the World Trade Center attacks, the producers decided to shoot on the West Coast. Much of the location work was done in Washington state around Port Townsend, Monroe and Silvana. Watts signed to the lead role in November, reportedly after Jennifer Connelly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale all passed on it. Filming started in November and was completed in just a few months.
By Lang Thompson
