The first lady of J-horror is returning to the big screen, this time with a new digital twist in keeping with the age of social media! 

That’s right, the most recognizable figure in Japanese horror has a new movie coming out later this year, and the first trailer has now been released, along with a poster image.

The poster offers a chilling look at the now familiar imagery of the well and Sadako’s trademark long hair.

▼ The new movie is titled simply Sadako.

Sadako is no newcomer to the horror scene, with the original Ring novel in which she first appeared having been published in 1991, followed by a successful film adaptation starring Nanako Matsushima and Hiroyuki Sanada in 1998 (if you thought the 1998 Japanese movie was scary, you should try reading the novel by Koji Suzuki — true nightmare fodder!).

Even a powerful grudge-bearing spirit needs to keep with the times, though, and in the franchise’s newest film installation, Sadako has apparently found a new medium through which to claim more victims — YouTube!

Back when the novel Ring was first published, it was a matter of course that Sadako used a VCR tape as the tool to disperse her deadly curse, but now that video tapes have all but disappeared, it seems Sadako has decided to update her act.

▼ Yup, ghosts need to keep up with the digital age, too. Did you know Sadako actually has a Twitter account where you can see her doing lots of cool things like striking a Japanese taiko drum?

Here’s the recently released trailer for Sadako, which focuses on creepy footage recorded by a YouTuber desperate for social media attention.

Actress Eliza Ikeda plays the protagonist Mayu, who works at a hospital as a mental health counselor and is the sister of the YouTuber whose recorded footage sets off the series of events relating to Sadako’s curse.

▼ Yes, the dreaded well makes an appearance.

▼ It looks like there’ll be plenty of the usual scares in the movie.

The new movie is being directed by Hideo Nakata, who also directed the original Japanese 1998 Ring movie and its sequel Ring 2, as well as the second film in the American re-made The Ring series, so hopefully we can look forward to more of the chills and thrills that made Sadako a Japanese horror icon.

Fans of the original Japanese film may have also recognized the eerily catchy song “Feels like ‘HEAVEN'” (the one with the disturbing “She’s coming, yes she’s definitely coming!” refrain) being used in the trailer, albeit with a new performer and musical arrangement. To add to the buzz, the identity of the new performer is being kept a secret for now.

We for one are certainly glad that between activities like collaborating with Hello Kitty, throwing the opening pitch at a baseball game and helping to keep people’s skin looking younger, Sadako has had time to star in a new movie in addition to mastering a whole new way to spread her curse.  And we’re happy for now that it looks like the movie offers plenty of classic Sadako antics, at least based on what we’ve seen in the trailer. But wait, this is Sadako we’re talking about. Should we be afraid that we’ve watched the trailer?

We’ll just have to hope Sadako goes easy on her fans with her curse, because we definitely don’t want to miss the full movie when Sadako opens in theaters across Japan on May 24!

Source: Sadako official movie site, Twitter/ @sadako3d via Otakomu
Top image: Sadako official movie site
Insert images: Sadako official movie site, YouTube/KADOKAWA映画
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