There’s going to be a new sequel to The Ring coming our way quite soon, but you’d be forgiven if you forgot. Rings was originally set for release on November 23, 2015, but then it got bumped to April 1, 2016, before being moved to October 28, 2016, before getting another delay to February 3, 2017. Man, it should be bedfellows with the equally-unloved Amityville: The Awakenings – they just can’t catch a break.
In any case, we’re less than one month away from its newest release date, and Paramount might actually keep it this time around, seeing as they’ve now unveiled a new poster for the upcoming horror sequel. While Rings, the movie, is looking rather worrisome, the poster is at least bold and striking. Telling us that “first you watch, then you die,” it doesn’t look all that different from the format and style of the 2013 Evil Dead poster, but it at least makes an impression. Whether or not that impression is enough to earn an audience is left undetermined.
Rings serves as the first sequel to The Ring since 2005’s underwhelming The Ring Two, putting Samara’s curse outside of the VHS era, for better or worse. The inconsistent release date suggests that she doesn’t fare too well this time around, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Perhaps the lowered expectations will work in its favor? It’s a long shot, especially given that it’s dumped in the unforgiving days of February, but we also had Deadpool, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Lego Movie released in that very month. It’s not a sign of certainty, but it’s not the death certificate, either.
Directed by F. Javier Gutierrez, Rings comes out — hopefully — on February 3.