Movies News Talk
Return to Silent Hill looks to be in the best hands available with Gans returning to the directorial chair and co-writing the script with Sandra Vo-Anh and Will Schneider. With his pitch presentation to the game publisher not only securing him the rights to the franchise but also demonstrating to them he understood the core of the games. He was heading into the first adaptation of the Konami games in the 2006 Silent Hill movie and often stressed how passionate he was for living up to the legacy of the source material with the project.
Fascinatingly, Gans had first intended to adapt Silent Hill 2 for the film before deciding on the original game as his model. While this proved successful for fans of the games and set a narrative foundation for a sequel to pick up the plot and adapt the third game, it left critics a little more conflicted, with reviews criticizing its complicated narrative yet still admiring the visuals. Gans had no role with the sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation, which was only a meager financial success and attacked by both viewers and critics. Under Rotten Tomatoes below, see how the two fare at the box office.
A new Return to Silent Hill behind-the-scenes film shows the first view of James Sunderland and more returning game characters as production on the remake is under progress. Mostly focusing on adapting 2001's Silent Hill 2, in which James, bereaved over the recent death of his wife, heads to the titular town after getting a letter from her asking him to find her there, the film marks the third installment in the franchise adaptation of Konami's iconic horror property. James arrives and discovers the town's sinister character when he is confronted with a range of horrible figures.
Konami unveiled a unique behind-the-scenes cinematic glimpse at Return to Silent Hill as part of a big showcase presentation for the franchise. Viewed above, the film provides a wealth of footage from the set of the forthcoming reboot, highlighting director Christophe Gans' commitment to faithfully adapting the second game in the horror series. Along with other returning game characters including Pyramid Head and the homicidal nurse entities, the movie also shows the first view of Jeremy Irvine's James Sunderland.
Title, Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score, Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score, Box Office
Silent Hill (2006), 33%, 63%, $100.6 Million
Silent Hill: Revelation, 8%, 35%, $55.9 Million
The movie relaunch is on route to be a huge redemption for the property since Gans not only hewing closer to the tale of the games by adapting the second installment for Return to Silent Hill but also wants to convey more psychological horror than anything else. Though the Silent Hill games are undoubtedly renowned for their horrific creatures, their psychological narrative behind those creatures and the general terrible backstories of the several heroes define them more than anything else. Gans' film could follow the popular trend with such adaptations like The Last of Us showing that direct devotion to their source material can be equally praised as the game.
Reference: Konami
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Though they didn't wow when they originally came out, the Silent Hill films are underappreciated for various reasons.
Inspired by the many-appreciated video games, the series was noted for its unique visual style and terrifying atmosphere. A fresh adaptation can help the Movies to make a comeback.