So begins the story of The Ring, of the most successful films to one captivate American audiences in 2002. Little did many film goers realize that the film was a remake of the Japanese horror film Ringu which had had the same incredible effect on audiences in Asia and Europe two years earlier. Nevertheless, serious film buffs were aware of the original and it was Ringu, rather than The Ring, that achieved the greater reputation. For this reason, director Hideo Nakata was asked to go to the United States to work on the sequel. The Ring 2 was another commercial success. For American audiences, the fact that the films contained no nudity blood, or gore was a novelty. Instead audiences were haunted by their own imaginations-which is exactly what Nakata and the screenwriter, Koji Suzuki, had intended. This proved to be an effective strategy. The elements of mystery and powerful imagery kept people rigid in their seats terrified, but wanting more.