Jeremy Irvine: I went to a spa resort in Switzerland after filming “Return to Silent Hill”

By Ahmed Fawzy

English actor Jeremy Irvine; star of “Return to Silent Hill”, which is based on a popular video game, emphasized that filming was so intense. After finishing the filming process, he had to go to a spa resort in Switzerland to recover from portraying the damaged James Sunderland, who desperately searches for the love of his life, Mary, and his late wife in the fog-shrouded town of Silent Hill. This journey leaves a huge impact on him.

He stated, “It’s a crazy film. I’ve been a fan of this game since childhood. When the role was offered to me, I thought ‘Oh my God, the fourteen-year-old Jeremy would have found this interesting’. That’s why I accepted the role”.

Irvine described working experience with director Christophe Gans as extremely intense. This is due to the strong directing vision of Gans and his willingness to present psychological horror rather than quick horror scenes. Hence, character performance required high focus and constant feeling of fear. It was the most challenging experience he has been through in his career so far. He noted, “Acting while being afraid is very interesting. Nevertheless, embodying the role of someone who is constantly afraid is very tiring. In the film, my character goes through an intense mental breakdown and has created a world full of monsters in his mind. Indeed, it is the most difficult role I’ve ever presented. When the work was done, I went to a spa resort in Switzerland to relax and recover from the character who has been through intense mental breakdown and has nightmares. The director focused on the inner psychological aspect of the character who experiences an internal psychological breakdown. That’s why it is the most difficult role in my career”.

Concerning his work with actress Hannah Emily Anderson, Irvine mentioned that they spent months of preparation and training to perform the characters, with a special focus on emotions and expressions. They had to get involved in high levels of concentration and interaction in shared scenes; they portrayed emotionally-connected characters, just as director Christophe Gans wished.

The film tells the story of James who is deeply heartbroken after breaking up with the love of his life. He receives a mysterious message that pushes him to return to a mysterious town; Silent Hill, hoping to find his beloved there. Upon his arrival, he discovers that the town is no longer the same. An unknown, evil force transforms it into a distorted and terrifying place. As James explores the town, he faces terrifying creatures; some familiar and others strange and frightening. With the increase of hallucinations and nightmares, James starts to question his mental soundness and struggles to understand whether the events are real or illusionary. Amidst this psychological struggle, he tries to stay strong to rescue the woman who still lives in his heart.

“Return to Silent Hill” is currently screened in Egyptian cinemas. It is a production of France, Britain, Germany, Siberia, Japan, USA, Australia and Spain; Davis Films, Hassell Free Productions, and Cineverse. Additionally, it is distributed by United Motion Pictures and written and directed by Christophe Gans. The film is co-written by William Josef Schneider and Sandra Vo-Anh, starring Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Robert Strange, Evie Templeton, Pearse Egan and Eve Macklin.