When “The Calling” hit theaters in 2002, he created a new subgenre within terror: American remakes for Asian productions beyond scary. While many people criticize most of these remakes, their success around the world is undeniable.

The film tells the story of Rachel, who, while investigating her niece's death, eventually uncovers a cursed videotape that causes people watching her to find her death within seven days. She needs to find a way to break this curse, as she and her son watched the recording and are in danger of dying.

Check out 10 curiosities of this blockbuster and critical hit:

1. Producer bought rights for $ 1 million

The Japanese film "Ringu" was released in 1998 and was based on a 1991 book by Kôji Suzuki. About three years later, in 2001, executive producer Roy Lee watched the production and passed it on to Mark Sourian of Dreamworks Studios., which immediately acquired the $ 1 million adaptation rights for the US market - not bad for a movie that grossed $ 250 million worldwide and cost just $ 48 million to shoot.

The original Samara

2. Copy to VHS

Anyone who has seen the original movie knows that it has a very dark atmosphere. Add to that the fact that remake director Gore Verbinski watched him on a very poor quality VHS tape copy. Given that the main plot of the movie revolves around a cursed VHS tape, the mood created was even scarier.

Cursed tape is the basis of "The Calling"

3. Differences

Adapting a work always requires change, and it was no different with "The Calling." Director Gore Verbinski believes that 50% of the original production has been changed, leaving only Samara's basic premise and her seven days to fetch the victims.

"Ringu" and "The Call": Director believes films look alike only 50% of the time; the main story, however, remains intact

4. It rains, rain, it rains nonstop

The suspenseful mood of “The Calling” has been heightened by the rain and cloudy weather that dominated the feature film shoot that took place in the US state of Washington.

5. Friendly rivalry

Do you know that little war that exists between Brazil and Argentina? Something similar happens on the other side of the planet, between Australia and New Zealand. This has helped to relax the mood of filming "The Calling" as Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson are respectively Australian and New Zealand. Since in the movie they play a separate couple, the rivalry between them was "necessary."

6. Lack of shadows

As we said, it was cloudy and it rained most of the time during the shoot. Because of this, cinematographer Bojan Bazelli worked to make sure no shadow of the actors appeared on the screen to increase the sense of isolation of the characters.

7. Circles Everywhere

The production team of "The Calling, " which was originally called "The Ring, " thought of inserting rings and circles in virtually every scene, as subliminal messages. You can see them in patterns on carpets and walls, kitchen drawers, doctor's clothes, Rachel's apartment number, and so on.

8. Cut actor

In the first installment of the film, the oscarized actor Chris Cooper played a child killer who appeared in only two scenes: at the beginning of the movie and at the end, receiving the cursed tape. However, audiences of The Calling's screenings complained about the actor's presence in only two scenes; Because of this, the producer decided to cut it completely from the final version.

9. Lighthouse Really Exists

The Moesko lighthouse of the feature film really exists and is actually called Yaquina Head. It is located at the mouth of the Yaquina River in the US state of Oregon.

10. Even Samara was scared of herself

If you were scared of Samara when you watched “The Calling”, know that you were not the only one. Even the actress who played her, Daveigh Chase, was startled when she found herself so hideous on screen - she was 12 years old at the film's release.

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