No premiere for The Ring Two? 7 March. The latest word from those in the know is that Naomi Watts was unable to attend the scheduled premiere for The Ring Two, causing DreamWorks to cancel the premiere altogether. Instead there will be what's termed an "industry screening," to which press and so on are not generally invited. No news yet as to whether this bodes anything for the film itself.

Ring cycle in the news

BlairWitch.de posts stills from The Ring Two. 2 March. Click here to see them all (Thanks KMCobra13).

Daveigh Chase credited as Samara - Here's why. 1 March. Previously, Kelly Stables (one of Daveigh Chase's stunt doubles in The Ring) had been listed as Samara in the credits for The Ring Two, but billing for this role has now returned to Daveigh. The ringworld was the first to break the news that Daveigh would not be appearing in The Ring Two, and the information remains accurate. As part of an agreement, DreamWorks will be allowed to use pre-existing footage of Daveigh (both from the film and the trailers) and from scenes that were cut from the film. In exchange, Daveigh will receive credit for the role, though she will not be returning for the film. Incidentally, Daveigh is currently gearing up for her role as a series regular on the new HBO drama Big Love, which starts production this March.

Fangoria features The Ring Two. 1 March. The March 15th issue of Fangoria features the The Ring Two as its cover story. See the magazine's official website for more (Thanks Tenebrae, Suicide).

The Ring Two website fully functional. 1 March. The official website for the film (which has now been rated PG-13) is now completely operational (Thanks Tyler, Michael).

DreamWorks SKG Fansite posts behind-the-scenes video. 5 February. Click here to see 49 seconds of footage from the making of The Ring Two in QuickTime (Thanks Jawad).

BlairWitch acquires Samara pics. 5 February. The German site blairwitch.de has posted several pictures from the upcoming The Ring Two, including a first look at the new Samara (Thanks Torsten).

AICN reviews The Ring Two. 5 February. A correspondent for Ain't It Cool News has posted a review of a test screening of The Ring Two (Thanks Mario).

IGN interviews Ring Two scribe Ehren Kruger. 2 February. Click here to see the interview.

Promotional websites revived, find new company. 2 February. A number of websites originally launched to promote the first The Ring are suddenly alive and well again, while several new sites have also been added to the mix. See the updated promotional websites page for more.

Kateigaho interviews Nakata, Suzuki, Lee. 29 January. Kateigaho.com has posted interviews with Nakata Hideo, Suzuki Koji and The Ring / The Ring Two producer Roy Lee for their "J-Horror Looms Over Hollywood" feature story. See the interviews page for direct links, or click here here to read the whole article (Thanks mj).

"She is here" ads appear online. 29 January. Ads for the promotional website she is here have started to appear online at places like chud.com.

Former promotional websites revived. 28 January. A number of websites originally launched to promote the first The Ring are suddenly alive and well again. Specifically, these sites are An Open Letter, Samara is Dead (formerly "Sadako is Dead"), and The Horror of Ringu. See the promotional websites page for direct links.

Naomi Watts talks on E! . 27 January. Naomi Watts appeared on Thursday's E! Tonight discussing her role in The Ring Two (as well Peter Jackson upcoming remake of King Kong). She mentioned that doing this film was "harder" than the original, and that her character must deal with much more grief. She also reiterated the news (previously reported here) that she was contractually bound to appear in The Ring Two, and that the film leaves open the possibility of a sequel (Thanks Tyler).

Nakata and Watts interviewed (Movieweb, AICN). 27 January. Movieweb.com has posted some video interviews with Nakata and Naomi Watts about The Ring Two, while aintitcoolnews.com recently posted their own interview with director Nakata (Thanks Alex, Kay).

Nakata Hideo interviews with the ringworld. 23 January. Nakata, director of two of the Japanese Ring films as well as the upcoming American The Ring Two, grants an exclusive interview spanning the whole of his involvement in the Ring saga and mentions the possibility of The Ring Three. Click here to see it.

Second cursed videotape appears online. 20 January. It seems that Samara has found the time to make a second cursed videotape. Head over to www.the-tape.com to see it for yourself (Thanks Ehrik, Alex).

Second The Ring Two trailer premieres. 9 January. After initially showing up on Entertainment Tonight, the second (theatrical) trailer for The Ring Two began showing in theaters and on the internet. See apple.com to view the trailer.

Promotional sites begin again. 29 December. Eerily evocative of the sites used to promote The Ring comes she-is-here-com, a journal ostensibly chronicling those unlucky enough to have viewed the cursed videotape. The site also features a bulletin board which (if last time was any indication) promises to become quite the hotbed of vitriol. Amidst all this, a member by the name of tapemaster is offering to send free copies of the alternate videotape to anyone who wishes (Thanks Justin, Wei, miharu).

The Ring Two website updated. 26 December. The official website for the film, located at www.thering2-themovie.com has been given a long-awaited (and creepy) facelift. Along with standard categories such as About the Film, Downloads, Gallery and Trailer, this Flash-laden site promises four additional "branches" (dubbed Water, Presence, Mother and Symbols) offering tantalizing snippets of the film. Currently, the "Water" section is the only one up and running (Thanks Alf, Bart).

The Ring Special Edition DVD planned. 22 December. The paucity of special materials on the DVD for DreamWorks' The Ring had many speculating that we would one day be seeing a special edition. Those suspicions have proven to be well-founded, as Universal has announced that a 2-disc SE will indeed released on March 8, 2005. Also included in the set (MSRP $26.99) is a ticket good for admission to The Ring Two. See DVDAnswers.com for more (Thanks Brian, Mario).

New (sort of) The Ring Two poster revealed. 22 December. The latest incarnation of the poster first reported here on May 23rd is now making the rounds on the internet. Whereas the original said simply "twO" and featured the tagline "it begins again," this latest version notes that it is indeed "the ring twO," and that "fear comes full circle" (Thanks Edward, Bart).

The Ring Two PA spills all. 7 November. A production assistant (PA) on The Ring Two writes in with a lighthearted look at what things were like on and off the set. See here for this exclusive account.

Hans Zimmer scores again. 7 November. According to musicfromthemovies.com, composer extraordinaire Hans Zimmer will be returning for The Ring Two. (Thanks Roxx)

The roles that were. 7 November. The website for Showfax, Inc. (LA branch) shows several roles (as of Apr. 7 2004) that were once up for grabs in The Ring Two, among them being Dr. Emma Temple (played by Sissy Spacek), Printing Staffer and Girl in a White Dress. See here for the list. (Thanks Andy)

The Ring Two trailer - in theaters with The Grudge. 30 October. The teaser trailer for The Ring Two (the same which aired on E! and is currently hosted at Ring2-themovie.com) is now showing in theaters before The Grudge, director Shimizu Takashi's remake of his own Ju-on.  (Thanks Roxx, Evan)

The Ring Two trailer now online. 13 October. Ring2-themovie.com has now been updated to feature the teaser trailer. When the familiar static pops up, click the small "ring" icon on the bottom left. (Thanks Foonman)

The Ring Two trailer to air on E! 12 October. Creature-corner.com reports that the television show E! News Live will be premiering the trailer for The Ring Two. The clip will air on Wednesday, October 13 at 7 pm Easter / Pacific time. Be sure not to miss it!

The Ring Two - release dates and advance stills. 27 September. The latest release date for The Ring Two is March 18, 2005. In the meantime, Freeze Dried Movies has scared up several advance stills from the film, so be sure to check them out.

The Grudge - Not the Ring. 23 August. Several people have e-mailed to ask what relation The Grudge (the posters and trailers for which look more than a little familiar...) has to the Ring. The answer is: none whatsoever. The Grudge is a remake of the Japanese film Juon, which (despite being billed as "from the creators of Ringu," i.e. having Ring scriptwriter Takahashi Hiroshi as creative consultant and Ring 2 editor Takahashi Nobuyuki) is wholly separate.

Assistant director chooses XXX2 over The Ring Two. 19 August. Assistant director Zach Jackson has apparently left The Ring Two to work on XxX2 starring Ice Cube (thanks the WB).

The Ring Two - in theaters March of 2005. 17 August. IGN Film Force reports that The Ring Two has been pushed back to March of 2005, while moviefone goes a step further to give a date of March 24 (Thanks Michael, Jonny).

Emily VanCamp confirms 2005 release date. 16 July. In an appearance last night on The Late Late Show, The Ring Two co-star Emily VanCamp confirmed that the film has been pushed back to a 2005 release date. She also said that the project was being kept tightly under wraps, and that names were being put on scripts in case any information leaked out. VanCamp went on to say that she had a great character, and that it will be a good film. When asked if her character dies, her response was, "You'll have to wait and see the film" (Thanks Tyler).

The Ring Two rumors surface. 15 July. One rumor being kicked around the internet regards an alternate opening to the film that appears to have been cut. According to an one source, The Ring Two was originally to begin in a soup kitchen, where "three hobos are talking about watching an apartment the week before and one gets up and goes to the bathroom. He looks detached, and scared as hell. As he goes back out, the TV in the soup kitchen flickers on and the famous well appears. An ear-piercing noise comes out and suddenly there is panic everywhere. The three hobo's faces become distorted and their arms go limp." The source went on to mention that the film also contained a Richard and Anna Morgan flashback that was cut for possible use in a Ring prequel.

The Ring Two website back. 12 July. The official The Ring Two website is back online, but at a slightly different location. Now located at www.thering2-themovie.com, the site's only content remains the Flash animation of television static, featuring occasional flashes of Samara's shadowy profile and the name of director Nakata Hideo. (Thanks Ring Fan, Mesobored, Mark).

New The Ring Two poster unveiled. 23 May. Now making the rounds on the internet is the latest version of the poster for The Ring Two, which features (ironically enough) a familiar-looking Samara representation. See here to take a look (Thanks Michael, Travus).

VanCamp to appear in film? 24 April. According to Variety, Emily VanCamp (TV's Everwood) is in "final negotations" to appear in The Ring Two.

Also, Mr. KV writes in that he observed pre-production is now underway on one of the stages at Universal Studios. Fenix1289 adds that it would appear to be on venerable Stage 28, which was used in the original Phantom of the Opera (and is home to some peculiar phenomena).

Spacek, Baker added to cast list. 18 April. According to hollywoodreporter.com, both Simon Baker (an acquaintance of Naomi Watts) and acclaimed actress Sissy Spacek will be appearing in The Ring Two.

Daveigh not to return for sequel. 7 April. Official sources confirm that Daveigh will not be reprising her role as Samara for The Ring Two. Daveigh was quoted as saying she would have returned for "all the ring fans out there who have been so nice to me and supported me," but noted that not only is Samara barely in the script, "she doesn't even show her face." DreamWorks will invariably go with a stand-in for the role, which is described as little more than an "extra" in the film. Daveigh, in the meantime, is hard at work on on other projects (such as television's CSI). We wish her all the best.

Script for The Ring Two reviewed. 16 April. FilmForce has posted an online review of the script for The Ring Two. By the writer's own admission, the review contains "minor spoilers," so read at your own risk! Incidentally, news of the script first surfaced on bloody-disgusting.com, where they posted an online review of the first few pages.

More scouting tidbits sent in. 27 March. Evon from Astoria, OR wrote in with the following: "The home of one of my co-worker's was in the finals to be used as a home (in the movie) for one of the characters. A neighbor two doors down got it." He continues, saying "While making reservations for a conference on May 19, 20, & 21, I was informed by the Red Lion in Astoria that they are in the process of booking a large group for two weeks starting about the same time. When I asked what event was happening that week to draw such a crowd, I was told it was for a movie production crew."

The Ring Two location scouting underway. 19 March. Matt writes, "My aunt and uncle run a skating rink in Pendleton, OR, and the production crew for The Ring 2 have been in contact with them several times regarding the use of their facilities for some video game arcade scenes, since they are pretty much the only place in Pendleton with an arcade-type area. I’ve also heard from friends who still live there that the production crew has been snooping about, trying to find places to film. So yeah, it looks like they’ve decided to film The Ring 2 in and around Pendleton."

Nakata involvement looks official. 17 March. Two inside sources have confirmed that Nakata appears to have been officially brought on board to direct The Ring Two.

Nakata Hideo cited as possible Murro replacement. 11 March, 2004. Variety has once again reported that the person currently in negotiations to helm The Ring Two is none other than Nakata Hideo, director of the original Japanese versions of  Ring and Ring 2!

Noam Murro leaves production. 10 March, 2004. Variety has reported that, citing "creative differences," director Noam Murro has left production of  The Ring Two.

Verbinski not to return for sequel. 5 November, 2004. TheHollywoodReporter.com and Variety both report that Gore Verbinski will not be returning for The Ring Two. Instead, the role will go to commercial director Noam Murro, who apparently "caught the attention of DreamWorks executives with a darkly toned 'Got Milk?' commercial...that features a boy who can predict unfortunate future events." This will be Murro's big screen debut.

Both Watts and David Dorfman will return for The Ring Two, and Ehren Kruger is again working as scriptwriter. Additionally, there have been rumblings that the studio is looking to cast a "young male lead" alongside Watts and Dorfman... (Thanks Raym, Suicide And the Morgans).

The Ring Two release date announced. DreamWorks has announced a November 10, 2004 release date for the film. Naomi Watts has also confirmed that she will return for the project.

The Ring Two to be an original story. 25 February, 2003. Received the following e-mail from a person who wished to remain anonymous:

"A contact in DreamWorks has confirmed that meetings have taken place about Ring 2. It looks like Naomi Watts has been in talks to star again, and she is about to sign. She will pull in an estimated 15 million (unconfirmed publicly) for her reprisal of her role, and the child actor will return as her son. No concrete story has been proposed, but Director Gore Verbinski may not return. The writing team will reunite. Spielberg, Wes Craven or Sam Mendes may take over the project. The sequel will NOT have anything to do with the Japanese sequels. A rough script will be in by December of this year. Hopefully, an October 2004 release date will be met. They will shoot for a 2 year anniversary."

More specifics on The Ring Two. 17 December, 2002. Cinema Confidential publishes an article that gives more clues to this next American Ring.

Parkes speaks out on Ring sequel. 21 November, 2002. DreamWorks producer Walter Parkes has confirmed that we can expect a second Ring sequel. See this article at mtv.com for the whole story.