Samara Returns in the First Trailer for Rings

2002's "The Ring" has always been considered one of the better, if not the best, American remake of a Japanese horror film, and for good reason. It was tense, creepy, and followed an interesting mystery, all on a ticking clock that had our protagonist trying to save her and her son's lives. However, when it came to the sequel, things took a sharp nosedive, resulting in a rather dull, forgettable affair that couldn't even come close to the original's compelling and disturbing atmosphere.

We all know a sequel has been in the works for quite some time, but at long last, we finally have a trailer for the film, which is simply titled "Rings." As we can see from these brief two and half minutes, Samara and her evil videotape are back to wreak havoc on more victims, which basically means that it doesn't look like there's much in the way of original material, but perhaps it will at least dig deeper into the backstory.

Have a look at the film's synopsis:

A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…

While neither the synopsis or the trailer really do much to build excitement for the film, I suppose there's always a chance that it could turn out better than expected (Academy Award-winner Akiva Goldsman is a co-writer after all...), but it's probably best not to get our hopes up, especially given that this is the third entry in a franchise that lost steam immediately after the original film. Even so, I'll still hope for the best.

"Rings," starring Laura Wiggins and Johnny Galecki, opens in theaters on October 28th, 2016.

Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic and be sure to subscribe for the latest updates.