According to the special makeup effects designer on the film, Arjen Tuiten, it took about 6 and a half hours to complete Samara's makeup and her costume featured a water rig under the dress that allowed the character to constantly drip water.
Before starring as Samara in this film, Bonnie Morgan was also featured in The Ring Two (2005) as Samara in the well crawling sequence, though she was uncredited.
Although Naomi Watts' character from the first two films, Rachel Keller, is never mentioned by name, her name appears underneath one of the icons on Gabriel's computer in a brief shot.
In the over one year delay in this film's theatrical release since October 2015, nearly 20 minutes of footage was altered and deleted which significantly altered some plot elements. Some of these deleted scenes can still be seen in the film's handful of trailers. Most of this footage was included as deleted scenes on the Blu-ray and DVD save for a few like the ring scar on Julia's back, which was also a promotional poster for the film.
Bonnie Morgan, who plays Samara, stated that to bring the character to life, it took over 45 special makeup appliances, including the wig and special contact lenses.