More than a decade since directing the first live-action adaptation of Silent Hill, Deadline brings word that French filmmaker Christophe Gans is officially returning to the horror franchise to helm its forthcoming reboot titled Return to Silent Hill. Jeremy Irvine (Great Expectations) and Hannah Emily Anderson (Jigsaw) have been tapped for the leading roles of James and Mary in the new film adaptation of the hit video game series of the same name.
Return to Silent Hill will be based on Konami’s popular 2001 game Silent Hill 2, which centered around a widower’s journey through the titular sinister town in hopes of finding his missing wife. It is being penned by Gans, Sandra Vo-Anh, and William Josef Schneider. Production is expected to begin next month in Germany and Eastern Europe.
“The film will follow James (Irvine), a man broken after being separated from his one true love (Anderson),” reads the synopsis. “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. As James descends deeper into the darkness, he encounters terrifying figures both familiar and new and begins to question his own sanity as he struggles to make sense of reality and hold on long enough to save his lost love.”
The reboot is produced by Victor Hadida for Davis Films along with Molly Hassell and David Wulf for Hassell Free Productions. Gans first adapted the game in 2006, which starred Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Jodelle Ferland, Laurie Holden, and Alice Krige. It was followed by Silent Hill: Revelation in 2012, which serves as a direct sequel to the first film.