Back in January, we reported that Paramount Pictures is moving forward with Rings, a continuation of The Ring franchise starring Italian actress Matilda Lutz. That report revealed that Rings will follow the same timeline established in the 2002 hit The Ring and its 2005 sequel The Ring Two, but with an all new cast. Today, a new report from Bloody-Disgusting reveals that Rings is actually a prequel, set several years before The Ring.

The Ring starred Naomi Watts as a woman trying to uncover the truth about a mysterious VHS video tape. Anyone who watches the tape turns up dead just seven days later. According to this report Rings will examine how the tape was created and delve into the origins of Samara's reign of terror. The site also reports that casting is currently under way, although it isn't known when production may begin. Back in January, Paramount handed out a November 13, 2015 release date, but with only one cast member secured, it isn't known if they will be able to make that date, just eight months away.

F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) is directing from a screenplay that has been worked on by Akiva Goldsman (Winter's Tale), Jacob Aaron Estes (Mean Creek) and David Loucka (House at the End of the Street). Rings is also the name of the short film directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) that accompanied the home video release The Ring Two in 2005. Would you rather see Rings as a prequel or a sequel to this thrilling franchise? Let us know what you think below.