San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Michael J. Bassett Talks Silent Hill; Watch the Nurse Attack Comic-Con Clip
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We had a chance to sit down with director Michael J. Bassett to talk Silent Hill: Revelation so right now we have the goods on that for you, along with the clip the studio brought to Comic-Con. Check it out!
What would you say to people who haven’t seen the first movie? “You don’t need to have seen the first movie in order to understand the second one. That’s really important to get across. People who are new to it will totally get it. Even though there are some recognizable faces too. Sean Bean is back.”
Were there any rating constraints? “Nope. It’s a mystery, fantasy hard R-rated thriller.” In that case, when you were shooting, were you ever worried about getting an NC-17? “Yeah. I shoot it all on set. And it’s my obligation to deliver the movie I want to see, and I want to see a hard R. It scares people. By the way, this isn’t Saw, it’s not gratuitous. It’s just that the world and the environments and the imagery are pretty graphic. We have some really fun stuff.”
In addition to being a sequel, this is also based on the third game in the series. What attracted you to that particular one? “The third game is the only logical one that carries on the story from the first movie. It’s the game that explains why they have to go back to Silent Hill. The other games are fantastic and would make good movies in their own right. And if this one is a hit, maybe we’ll do one of those.”
What was the most challenging thing to pull off? “Shooting in 3D. We didn’t post-convert, we shot in it. But we really had a 2D budget and schedule so that was hard. That being said, this 3D really immerses you in the world. And it’s practical effects mostly.” The clip we saw with the mannequins was CG though. “Yeah, that was all CG. But most of the stuff in the film is practical.” Anything else that stood out as a challenge? “The world of Silent Hill is a dusty, dark and rusty place. So we were shooting in some pretty terrible places. Some horrendous places. Some abandoned warehouses and an abandoned electrical generator factory out of Toronto.”
You’re a huge fan of the game, but as a director I know there’s some new stuff you want to bring to the world. How do you deal with fan expectations. “There’s the sense that proper hardcore Silent Hill fans, there’s a chance they won’t like it. Because they have such a clear vision of what the film should be. And I can’t give them their vision, I can only give them my vision. I have to make it play in a way that’s not so particular to the game. It has to work as a movie as well.”
What’s up next for you? “I just got back from South Africa; I was shooting an HBO action series called Strike Back. I’ve got a couple of thrillers I’m attached to. And I’m talking about maybe doing Solomon Kane 2.”
Bassett directs the sequel that stars Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Deborah Kara Unger, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Malcolm McDowell.
Look for it hopefully sometime in 2012 from Lionsgate.
Synopsis
For years, Heather Mason and her father have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn’t fully understand. Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by terrifying nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she’s not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her in Silent Hill forever.
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