Sarah Michelle Gellar

Lions Gate will release Takashi Shimizu’s original Japanese supernatural horror film Ju-On (The Grudge) in Los Angeles and New York on July 23, before expanding its limited release to other American cities, the Creature Corner Web site reported. Sony is currently producing an American version of the movie, also directed by Shimizu. That film, titled The Grudge, is currently in post-production and stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jason Behr, but it won’t hit theaters until the fall.

After its initial opening, Lions Gate, in conjunction with Vitagraph Films (Bubba Ho-tep), will expand Ju-On to Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle, the Web site reported.

Ju-On was a hit in its original Japanese release, prompting Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Productions to mount the American remake, which was shot in Tokyo this past winter. It deals with a curse that befalls a house in a Tokyo, instilling a murderous rage.