"The inverse of A Quiet Place" was the pitch for Hugh Grant's new horror movie Heretic, directors say

Heretic directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods say their new horror movie is the direct opposite of A Quiet Place, which they co-wrote.

"The concept was the inverse of A Quiet Place, which was, can we tell a story and scare people with no dialogue?" Woods tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Wicked on the cover and hits newsstands on November 1. "Heretic was, can we tell a story and scare people with just dialogue?"

The initial concept of the film involved two Mormon missionaries who knock on the wrong door, and a discourse begins. From there it evolved into a simple three-character study of Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) responding to an inquiry at the peculiar home of one Mr Reed (Hugh Grant). 

The pair worked with production designer Philip Messina (The Hunger Games), DP Chung Chung-hoon, and costume designer Betsy Heimann to create a "claustrophobic, puzzle box environment."

The A24 film was announced in 2023, with Grant to star as the pic's main antagonist. Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film has garnered generally positive reviews and currently stands at a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Topher Grace and Elle Young also star.

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Heretic releases on November 8. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Wicked on the cover and will be available from Friday, November 1. 

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