Cineverse has secured the U.S. rights for the eagerly awaited third installment of the Silent Hill film series, Return to Silent Hill, set to release later this year. According to Cineverse, this film will be a "faithful adaptation" of the iconic story from Silent Hill 2.
Brandon Hill, Cineverse's executive director of acquisitions, expressed enthusiasm about the project to 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 shared his excitement about working with Cineverse, noting their deep appreciation for the fanbase. He remarked, “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 strongly 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's existence was first revealed in October 2022, with the first glimpse of Return to Silent Hill's rendition of the Red Pyramid Thing—also known as Pyramid Head—coming in May 2024.
Christophe Gans' initial venture into the Silent Hill universe, loosely based on the first game, focused on Rose's quest to find her missing daughter, Sharon, in a town where it paradoxically snows in summer. Despite the involvement of Oscar-winning writer Roger Avary, who penned Pulp Fiction, our review rated Gans' first adaptation a moderate 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 film in the series, Silent Hill: Revelation, directed by Michael J. Bassett and loosely based on Silent Hill 3, received a less favorable rating of 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."
Anticipation builds as Return to Silent Hill is scheduled for a wide theatrical release in America later this year, promising fans an experience steeped in the legacy of the revered Silent Hill 2 game.
