‘Rings’ Will Actually Be a Prequel to ‘The Ring’

We previously assumed that the upcoming Rings was a sequel to the 2002 film starring Naomi Watts, but that’s not the case. The new horror film from director F. Javier Gutierrez will actually serve as a prequel to the first film, giving you an origin story for that creepy little dead girl in the TV—but didn’t we already get that origin story over the course of the first two films? What gives?

According to Bloody-Disgusting, the new 3D Rings movie will explore the origins of Samara, the long-haired ghost girl who torments anyone unlucky (or dumb) enough to watch that VHS tape. The 2002 film was a remake of the Japanese Ringu, and followed a woman and her son who watch the mysterious and creepy VHS tape only to discover that doing so gives them just seven days to live.

Both that film and The Ring Two explored Samara’s origin story: after being adopted by childless couple Richard and Anna, Samara’s presence induces terrifying visions in her new mom, driving her mad. After keeping her locked in an attic, Anna suffocates Samara and throws her in a well before eventually committing suicide herself. The second film expands on Samara’s story a bit by introducing her mentally insane birth mother, who tried to drown Samara when she was an infant.

Although we’ve already seen Samara’s origins, what remains unclear is the actual origin story of her “power”—how she was able to induce horrific visions in other people, and why she was able to live on, haunting and killing and possessing people, after Anna killed her.

Perhaps Gutierrez is creating a new origin story for Samara, or he’s expanding on the evil entity that consumes her. We’ll find out soon enough when Rings hits theaters on November 13, 2015.