Cineverse Acquires U.S. Rights for Return to Silent Hill, The Newest Installment in the popular Video Game Horror Film Franchise from Davis Films

Rhea-AI Summary

Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS) has acquired U.S. rights to Return to Silent Hill, the latest installment in the horror film franchise based on KONAMI's popular video game series. The film, directed by Christophe Gans, is a faithful adaptation of Silent Hill 2, which was successfully remade and released in 2024, selling over 2 million copies. Starring Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson, the movie follows James, who returns to Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his lost love, Mary. The Silent Hill franchise has generated $156 million in global box office revenue across its first two films. The film's visual effects are complete, with a theatrical release date to be announced soon. This acquisition adds to Cineverse's upcoming theatrical slate, which includes The Toxic Avenger (August 2025), Silent Night Deadly Night (December 2025), and Wolf Creek: Legacy (2026).

Positive

• Acquisition of rights to a successful gaming franchise with $156 million global box office revenue
• The associated Silent Hill 2 game remake sold over 2 million copies since October 2024
• Return of original Silent Hill film director Christophe Gans and game composer Akira Yamaoka
• Strategic expansion of Cineverse's theatrical release portfolio

Negative

• Theatrical release date not yet determined
• Success dependent on gaming fan base reception and adaptation quality

Insights

Entertainment Industry Financial Analyst

Cineverse's acquisition of US rights to the Silent Hill franchise film adds a proven revenue generator to their theatrical slate.

Cineverse's (NASDAQ: CNVS) acquisition of US distribution rights for "Return to Silent Hill" represents a strategic addition to their theatrical release portfolio. This acquisition leverages a proven IP with substantial commercial history – the previous two Silent Hill films generated $156 million in global box office revenue, while the video game franchise continues to demonstrate strong market performance with the recent Silent Hill 2 remake selling over 2 million copies within months of its October 2024 release.

The timing of this acquisition aligns with Cineverse's broader strategy of building a theatrical release slate focused on established franchises with dedicated fan bases. The company is positioning this alongside other upcoming franchise releases including "The Toxic Avenger" (August 2025), "Silent Night Deadly Night" (December 2025), and "Wolf Creek: Legacy" (2026).

From a revenue perspective, this acquisition represents potential diversification of Cineverse's income streams through theatrical distribution, with additional opportunities in downstream markets including streaming, VOD, and international licensing. While financial terms weren't disclosed, the existing franchise awareness and built-in audience from both the gaming community and previous film viewers create a lower-risk proposition compared to original content.

The involvement of director Christophe Gans, who helmed the commercially successful first Silent Hill film, along with original game composer Akira Yamaoka, suggests an approach focused on maintaining quality and authenticity to maximize fan engagement and commercial performance. The recent critical and commercial success of the Silent Hill 2 game remake further indicates a revitalized interest in the franchise that Cineverse could capitalize on with proper timing and marketing.

The upcoming psychological horror experience is based on the fan-revered video game Silent Hill 2

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS), a next-generation entertainment studio, has announced today the acquisition of U.S. rights for Return to Silent Hill, the newest installment in the film franchise based on the wildly popular horror video game series from KONAMI. The announcement was made today ahead of the Cannes Film Festival. The film's extensive visual effects were recently completed and a date for a wide theatrical release will be announced soon.

Return to Silent Hill follows James (Jeremy Irvine), a man broken after his relationship with the love of his life, Mary (Hannah Emily Anderson), ends. When a mysterious letter from her calls him back to Silent Hill, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil. While James desperately searches for Mary he encounters terrifying creatures and begins to unravel the mystery of what happened to the town. But as he descends deeper into the darkness the secrets he uncovers lead to a horrifying truth, and James finds himself struggling to hold on long enough to save his one true love. The film is a faithful adaptation of the video game Silent Hill 2 which creator and publisher KONAMI remade and successfully released last year to wide acclaim.

The film stars Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, War Horse) and Anderson (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Jigsaw). Returning to the Silent Hill universe are director Christophe Gans (Beauty and the Beast, Brotherhood of The Wolf) who also directed the first Silent Hill film released in 2006 and Akira Yamaoka, original composer for the game franchise. Produced by Victor Hadida of Davis Films (Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises), Molly Hassell of Hassell Free Productions (Terminal, Braven) and David Wulf (Call Jane, The Card Counter, Inheritance).

"As we continue to build our slate of theatrical releases, we couldn't be more thrilled to add the next release from a billion dollar, multi-platform franchise with a global box office of $156 million to date across the first two films," said Cineverse Chief Content Officer Yolanda Macias.

"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," said Cineverse Executive Director, Acquisitions Brandon Hill. 

"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," said director Christophe Gans.

Producer Victor Hadida continues "We are impressed by Cineverse's proven ability to handle franchise IP so authentically and with a fan-forward focus. The film is an immersive and stunning visual experience and we are thrilled that Cineverse will be bringing it to theaters for audiences across the US.

Silent Hill is one of the most recognized horror games worldwide. Game creator and publisher KONAMI released a remake of the iconic Silent Hill 2 game in October 2024, selling more than 1 million copies in the first week and surpassing 2 million copies just a few months later. The Silent Hill 2 game remake secured numerous awards, nominations and accolades including 2024 Game of the Year by The Horror Game Awards. KONAMI has also announced Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall as upcoming games in the series.

Cineverse's upcoming releases include Legendary & Troma Entertainment's The Toxic Avenger on August 29, 2025, a reimagining of the 1984 slasher classic Silent Night Deadly Night on December 12, 2025 and Wolf Creek: Legacy in 2026.

The deal was negotiated by Macias and Hill for Cineverse and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the producers.

International rights for Return to Silent Hill are with The Veterans who will be representing the film at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

About Cineverse Entertainment

Cineverse super-serves passionate audiences by distributing content across all windows and platforms, from theatrical to digital to physical. This most recently includes the breakout box office success Terrifier 3, and upcoming releases: The Toxic Avenger (August 29, 2025), Silent Night Deadly Night (December 12, 2025), Return to Silent Hill, and Wolf Creek: Legacy.

About Cineverse

Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing non-rated film in U.S. history; dozens of streaming fandom channels; a premier podcast network; top horror destination Bloody Disgusting; and more. Powering visionary storytelling with cutting-edge innovation, Cineverse's proprietary streaming tools and AI technology drive revenue and reach to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit home.cineverse.com.

About Davis Films
Davis Films, based in Paris, is one of the world's leading independent production companies and has been directly involved in the production of over forty feature films. Along with leading French distributor Metropolitan FilmExport, Davis Films was owned and managed by Samuel and Victor Hadida for many years. Following Samuel's passing in 2018, the companies remain under ownership of the Hadida family and Victor's management. The first Davis production was Tony Scott's True Romance, based on a Quentin Tarantino script. Davis also teamed with Scott years later for Domino, starring Keira Knightley. Davis is also known for its successful adaptations of Japanese Manga and videogames, including Crying Freeman (also directed by Gans), the Resident Evil franchise co-produced with Constantin, and the Silent Hill franchise. Davis Film's most recent release, The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Bill Skarsgård debuted worldwide in 2024.

About Hassell Free Productions
Hassell Free Productions has produced and/or financed more than 20 critically acclaimed films to date, including noir crime thriller Terminal starring Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers; action thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa and Stephen Lang; Jon Avnet's Three Christs starring Richard Gere, Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins and Bradley Whitford and thriller The Trust starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood. The company's recent productions include The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs; Endangered Species, an action drama set in the grasslands of Kenya starring Rebecca Romijn, Philip Winchester, and Jerry O'Connell and action thriller Rogue starring Megan Fox, both directed by MJ Bassett.

CONTACTS

For Media, The Lippin Group for Cineverse
cineverse@lippingroup.com 

For Investors, Julie Milstead
investorrelations@cineverse.com

For Return to Silent Hill international sales, The Veterans
asst@the-veterans.com

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SOURCE Cineverse Corp.

FAQ

When will Return to Silent Hill be released in theaters by Cineverse (CNVS)?

The theatrical release date for Return to Silent Hill has not yet been announced, though the visual effects are complete.

How much has the Silent Hill movie franchise earned at the box office?

The Silent Hill movie franchise has generated $156 million in global box office revenue across its first two films.

Who are the main stars in Cineverse's Return to Silent Hill?

The film stars Jeremy Irvine (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, War Horse) and Hannah Emily Anderson (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Jigsaw).

How successful was the Silent Hill 2 video game remake that inspired this film?

The Silent Hill 2 game remake, released in October 2024, sold over 1 million copies in its first week and surpassed 2 million copies within months, winning 2024 Game of the Year at The Horror Game Awards.

What other movies does Cineverse (CNVS) have planned for release?

Cineverse's upcoming releases include The Toxic Avenger (August 29, 2025), Silent Night Deadly Night (December 12, 2025), and Wolf Creek: Legacy (2026).