Dreamworks – The Ring 2 – February 2005

 

Apart from Aidan, the only person with whom Rachel shares any connection in her new town is her boss, Max Rourke, who owns the local Astoria paper, The Daily Astorian, where Rachel now works. Max knows nothing of her background, but becomes increasingly curious and concerned as Rachel's behavior becomes more suspicious.

Max is played by Australian actor Simon Baker, who admits that while he was not generally a fan of the horror genre, he had been impressed by "The Ring." "The first film was a wonderful marriage of a horror movie and a personal human drama. The horror side has the eerie curse of the videotape and the human side was the strength of the mother/son relationship. I thought it was very good, which was a major reason I was interested in doing the sequel."

In casting the role of Max, Parkes says, "We wanted somebody who could convey a kind of sensitivity to be open to what's going on in Rachel's life, as well as a certain strength so you could believe he might be able to protect them. Simon came in and read, and he intuitively had all of those qualities. I think he was also aided by the fact that he and Naomi are good friends, so there was an instant rapport, which translates on the screen."

Baker remarks, "We had never worked together, but we've been friends for years, so there is an easy unspoken trust between us, which made for a more comfortable set. Naomi's a lot of fun, which was good because it's kind of a heavy movie. It was nice to offset that between takes with a few lighter moments."

"It was really nice to be able to work with someone I knew so well," Watts attests. "Simon is a great actor and he was perfect for the part. He's a strong, manly guy, but there's a gentle spirit to him, and in order for Rachel to trust Max, she needs to feel he's a safe person. She senses he really doesn't belong in this small country town either, so you sort of have two lost souls connecting in these strange surroundings."

"Max and Rachel are both outsiders in the sense of this quiet, little town, even though my character was born there, moved away and came back," Baker reveals. "He's interested in why she's even there and why she is so secretive and closed off, so he pushes to find out more about her. When she finally starts to reveal what's going on, Max can't believe what she's telling him. It sounds like a lot of fantastical nonsense. It was hard to find that balance between, 'Okay, girlfriend, you're nuts,' and 'I care about you and I'm going to help you.'"