Return to Silent Hill's James Sunderland actor teases a "wild, chaotic" movie that forced him to check into a Swiss spa after being "exhausted" by "playing scared"

Return to Silent Hill actor Jeremy Irvine has teased a "wild, chaotic" adaptation of Silent Hill 2 that made him decompress in a big way after filming had wrapped.

Speaking to Radio Times, Irvine – perhaps best known for War Horse and currently starring in Outlander: Blood of my Blood – revealed that he took the role as James Sunderland partially because of how impressive it would seem to his teenage self.

"When they offered it to me, I thought, 'God, 14-year-old me would think this is so cool.' I basically took the job for that reason," Irvine said.

Of course, no trip to Silent Hill is going to be sunshine and roses. The horror game franchise is famed for its oppressive psychological horror, often manifesting in darkly disturbing ways. That feeling even found its way through to Irvine, who had to portray the damaged James Sunderland as he navigates his way through his own personal trauma in the fog-filled town of Silent Hill in search of his long-dead wife, Mary.

"It is fun, but playing scared is exhausting," Irvine admitted. "My character is going through a seriously intense mental breakdown and has created this world of monsters around him in his head. It was the hardest work I’ve ever had to do on a job. When I finished, I checked myself into a spa in Switzerland."

Directed by Christoph Gans, Return to Silent Hill will adapt the events of the horror classic Silent Hill 2, which recently received a PS5 remake. The latest film in the series also comes off the back of a mini-renaissance for the game series, with Silent Hill f releasing earlier this year and a Silent Hill 1 remake also in the works.

Return to Silent Hill, also starring Hannah Emily Anderson and Wednesday's Evie Templeton, hits cinemas on January 23, 2026.

For more, check out our guides to upcoming video game movies and new horror games.