The Constantin Films / Emjag Prods. project THE SILENCE is a movie I'm anticipating, but with some caution. It has me on board because of the story, which is based on the novel by Tim Lebbon. It follows
Ally, a deaf teenager who is terrorized by a lethal bat species called Vesps.
The screenplay adaptation was handled by Carey and Shane Van Dyke.
Now, I would love to see an awesome movie about a deaf girl taking on hordes of killer bats, so THE SILENCE has already been added to my "must watch" list. My wariness comes from the fact that the film is being directed by John R. Leonetti, who has served as cinematographer on some great things, including INSIDIOUS and THE CONJURING. The problem is, his directorial projects haven't been so great – his most notable films are MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION and ANNABELLE. Ouch.
But here's hoping that Leonetti is working with better material here than he had to work with on ANNIHILATION and ANNABELLE, and he's certain building a promising cast for his killer bat movie. Kiernan Shipka is on board to play Ally, and she has now been joined by the great Stanley Tucci.
Mister Smith Entertainment is presenting THE SILENCE to buyers at the Cannes Film Market, and the company's David Garrett had this to say about Tucci signing on to the film:
Stanley Tucci is a world class actor and a master at creating memorable characters. We can’t wait to see what he does with this role."
I agree with his assessment of Tucci, and I also can't wait to see what he does with a role that may well require him to be swarmed by bloodthirsty bats. So bring on THE SILENCE. I'm crossing my fingers for it.