Cineverse Vows 'Faithful Adaptation' of Silent Hill 2 in New Movie

Cineverse has acquired the rights to distribute the third installment of the Silent Hill film series in the U.S., titled Return to Silent Hill, which is set to release later this year. According to Cineverse, the film promises to be a "faithful adaptation" of the iconic story from Silent Hill 2.

Brandon Hill, Cineverse's executive director of acquisitions, expressed his enthusiasm 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 thoughts on the project, 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 familiar with the original Silent Hill 2 and the 2024 Bloober remake. The story centers on "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 project was unveiled in October 2022, and fans got their first glimpse at Return to Silent Hill's version of Red Pyramid Thing — also known as Pyramid Head — in May 2024.

Christophe Gans' previous venture into the Silent Hill universe was a film loosely based on the first game, focusing on Rose's search for her missing daughter, Sharon, in a town that experiences summer snowfalls. Despite the screenplay being penned by Oscar-winning writer Roger Avary, known for Pulp Fiction, our review of Gans' first adaptation rated it a middling 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, Silent Hill: Revelation, directed by Michael J. Bassett and loosely based on Silent Hill 3, fared even worse with a 4.5 rating 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."