Cineverse has acquired the rights for the eagerly anticipated third Silent Hill film in the U.S., titled Return to Silent Hill, set to be released later this year. This new installment promises to be a "faithful adaptation" of the iconic Silent Hill 2's storyline. Brandon Hill, Cineverse's executive director of acquisitions, shared his excitement with Variety, 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."
Director Christophe Gans expressed his enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the respect and dedication to the source material: "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 encounters "terrifying figures both familiar and new." The film was unveiled in October 2022, and fans got their first glimpse at Return to Silent Hill's version of Red Pyramid Thing — AKA Pyramid Head — in May 2024.
Gans' first Silent Hill movie, loosely based on the first game, focuses on mother Rose's quest to find her missing daughter, Sharon, in a town where it snows during summer. Despite the screenplay being penned by Oscar-winning writer Roger Avary, known for Pulp Fiction, our review gave it 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
View 34 Images
The second movie in the series, Silent Hill: Revelation, directed by Michael J. Bassett and loosely based on Silent Hill 3, received a 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."
Fans can look forward to Return to Silent Hill hitting theaters later this year, as Cineverse has promised a "wide theatrical release in America."
