The Ring is a horror franchise originating from Koji Suzuki’s 1991 Japanese novel Ring. The story follows a cursed videotape, and anyone who watches it receives a phone call telling them they will die in seven days. The franchise has produced Japanese films, an American remake series, novels, manga, video games, and a crossover with another major Japanese horror franchise. It is one of the most recognizable and influential horror properties in the world and helped introduce Western audiences to Japanese horror cinema in the early 2000s.

The Original Japanese Franchise

Ring (Ringu) (1998)

Directed by Hideo Nakata and based on Koji Suzuki’s novel, Ringu is the film that launched the franchise internationally. Journalist Reiko Asakawa investigates the cursed tape after her niece dies, discovers its supernatural origin, and races to break the curse before her time runs out. The ghost Sadako, emerging from a television well, became one of the most iconic images in horror cinema. The film was a massive success in Japan and its influence on the horror genre, particularly the concept of the vengeful female ghost with long black hair covering her face, can be seen in countless subsequent horror films.

Ringu 2 (1999) and Rasen (1998)

Two sequels were produced simultaneously. Rasen, based on Suzuki’s second novel, was released alongside Ringu but received poorly. Ringu 2, directed by Nakata, was the canonical sequel and continued the story of the surviving characters. Ringu 0: Birthday in 2000 was a prequel exploring Sadako’s origins.

The American Remake Series

The Ring (2002)

Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts, the American remake transplanted the story to the Pacific Northwest and updated the cursed tape to a VHS cassette. It was one of the highest-grossing horror films of the decade, earning over $249 million worldwide against a $48 million budget. Naomi Watts’s performance as Rachel Keller and the film’s cold, desaturated visual style were particularly effective. Samara, the American version of Sadako, became a horror icon.

The Ring Two (2005) and Rings (2017)

The Ring Two, directed by the original Ringu director Nakata, received mixed reviews. Rings in 2017 attempted to update the concept with the curse spreading through digital video and received poor reviews. Both underperformed relative to the original remake’s success.

Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)

A crossover film pitting Sadako from the Ring franchise against Kayako from the Ju-On/The Grudge franchise. Exactly what the premise suggests. Received a mixed but generally affectionate response from horror fans who appreciated the absurdity of the concept being executed seriously.

The Ring in Video Games

The Ring franchise has produced several video game adaptations primarily in Japan. Ring: Infinity in 1999 was a Japan-exclusive horror game. The Ring: Terror’s Realm was released in the West for Dreamcast in 2000 and received poor reviews. Sadako VR: Ghost Girl in 2023 brought the franchise to virtual reality as a horror experience. Samara has been referenced in various horror gaming contexts and Sadako’s visual design has influenced horror game aesthetics broadly, particularly in Japanese horror titles.

In 2022, Sadako Rising was released for Dead by Daylight. It’s the twenty-third chapter of the game and includes a killer and a survivor.

Games in the The Ring Franchise

Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight is a asymmetric multiplayer survival horror game developed and published by Behaviour Interactive. Initially Starbreeze Studios was the publisher of the game,…

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