10 Legendary Films You Never Realised Were Based On Books
7. The Ring – Based on Ring by Koji Suzuki
The Ring is inarguably one of the most iconic horror films of the twenty-first century. That image of the long dark-haired Samara crawling out of the television screen will remain in our collective nightmares for decades to come.
And most horror fans will already know that the American film released in 2002 is a remake of the Japanese horror film Ring, released in 1998. But what many will not realise is that the original Japanese film is a direct adaption of a 1991 novel by author Koji Suzuki.
The most recognisable elements, a cursed videotape warning the viewer that they will die in seven days and the link to the undead spirit of a little girl who died in a well, are all there in the original text. The main differences come in the character specifics.
In the American remake, investigative journalist Katie is forced to contact her estranged ex-husband for help after viewing the cursed videotape which caused the death of her niece. In the original novel, reporter Kazuyuki follows much the same investigative strand but instead enlists the help of a local psychopath, Ryuji, who he doesn’t really consider his friend. But Kazuyuki knows that Ryuji is the only one who will believe him about the tape’s curse.
A stronger focus on Samara’s past was also present in the book, but this is eventually delved into more in The Ring 2.