Cineverse has secured the U.S. rights for the upcoming third installment of the Silent Hill film series, titled Return to Silent Hill, set for release later this year. This new film aims to be a "faithful adaptation" of the iconic story from Silent Hill 2.
Brandon Hill, Cineverse's executive director of acquisitions, praised the franchise, stating, "Silent Hill is one of the best video game franchises, period, and Christophe Gans did a phenomenal job capturing the atmosphere of the games once again with Return to Silent Hill," in an interview with Variety.
Director Christophe Gans expressed his excitement about the collaboration, saying, "I am delighted to partner with Cineverse, which has shown a genuine understanding of fanship. Return to Silent Hill is an adaptation created out of deep respect for a true masterpiece of a game, Konami’s iconic Silent Hill 2. I hope fans will enjoy and be fulfilled with the experience this new film has to offer."
The plot of Return to Silent Hill will resonate with fans of the original Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Bloober remake. It follows "James (Jeremy Irvine), a man broken after being separated from his one true love (Hannah Emily Anderson). When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill in search of her, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil" and "terrifying figures both familiar and new." The film was first announced in October 2022, and in May 2024, we were given our first glimpse at Return to Silent Hill's version of Red Pyramid Thing — also known as Pyramid Head.
Gans' first Silent Hill movie, loosely based on the first game, follows the journey of mother Rose as she searches for her missing daughter, Sharon, in a town where it snows during summer. Despite being penned by Oscar-winning writer Roger Avary, who wrote Pulp Fiction, our review rated Gans' initial adaptation a mediocre 5/10, stating, "So there we have it. Our worst fears realized yet again. The video game-to-film genre has endured more than a decade of mediocrity. Silent Hill is probably the smartest and best-looking video game adaptation yet, it just doesn't have much else going for it. After all, video games are about entertainment, and Silent Hill is a chore to sit through."
Silent Hill 2 (2024) Review Screens
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The sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation, directed by Michael J. Bassett and loosely based on Silent Hill 3, received an even less favorable 4.5 in our review: "Silent Hill Revelation 3D is an inferior sequel in every way, shape and form, a horror sequel that fails to either intrigue or scare, and one that just might have killed the franchise cold-dead."
Return to Silent Hill is scheduled for release later this year, with Cineverse promising a "wide theatrical release in America."
