How Ju-On: The Grudge creator Takashi Shimizu turned one scary premise into a horror franchise that’s spanned decades

For those in the business of creating things, to be remembered for anything at all is an incredible achievement. And yet, across a long enough career, to be remembered for just one thing must be incredibly frustrating, so it’s no wonder that most artists prefer their unsung works.

No matter how many films he makes, Japanese writer-director Takashi Shimizu will be always be billed as the architect of the Ju-On series, which began more than 20 years ago and comprises not just movies but books, a TV show and a video game. Ironically considering its success, the franchise concerns a curse that spirals exponentially outwards and cannot be stopped.

Born in Maebashi, Japan, in 1972, Shimizu enrolled at the Film School of Tokyo, where a short film of his attracted industry attention. It was when he was asked to create a series of horror shorts for a mobile phone company that he came up with the idea that would come to define his career.

The series of short videos spawned a 2000 TV movie called Ju-On: The Curse – the film that marks the start of the franchise. A sequel came out the same year, before the cinematic release of Ju-On: The Grudge in 2002, which was itself followed by a sequel in 2003. Each film follows a similar format.

In the Nerima district of Tokyo is a house where jealous husband Takeo Saeki (Takashi Matsuyama) killed his wife Kayako (Takako Fuji), son Toshio (played by various actors) and Toshio’s cat (also various). As the title card explains, “When a person dies with a deep and powerful rage, a curse is born.” The curse, in this case, is that the ghosts of Kayako and Toshio come to claim anyone who sets foot in their former home.