How many students feel pressure to plan the rest of their lives or doubt that they've chosen the right major? Well, every uncertain college student should meet Washington College of Law alumnus Roy Lee.
Lee, producer of Sony Picture's recent horror film "The Grudge," is from Bethesda, Md., and attended WCL after graduating from George Washington University with a degree in political science.
When Lee graduated in 1997, he decided to move to Los Angeles and try to break into "the business." He landed a job as a producer of another remake of a Japanese horror film, the tremendously successful "The Ring" in 2002.
"After [producing] 'The Ring,' it was such a great process," Lee said. "I began developing other ideas."
He wanted to remake another Japanese horror film, "Ju-on," in the United States. "The story was scarier than anything I'd ever seen before," Lee said.
The "Ju-on" remake opened in the United States last Friday, retitled as "The Grudge," with an all-American cast starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Bill Pullman.
"The Grudge" is about a curse that originates when a person is killed as a result of another's rage. The curse attaches itself, like a virus, to all who encounter it.
Unlike "The Ring," this remake has the original director, Takashi Shimizu. Next year's "Ring 2" is being directed by the original "Ringu" director, Hideo Nakata.
Working with a Japanese film crew and an American film crew did not cause many communication problems, Lee said, because "the film process is very similar around the world."
Still, there are some differences between the Japanese and American versions, according to Lee.
"We had to concede a few ideas to the production company in order to get the most commercial film possible," Lee said.
Lee's has advice for future film producers: Find a great idea and keep pushing to make it into a movie.
"That's how people get started," Lee said. "Find a great idea."
Lee is currently working on the sequel to "The Grudge," and casting details are still being finalized. Four movies were made in the Japanese "Ju-on" series.
See a review of "The Grudge" in last week's issue, available at www.The EagleOnline.com.
