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It's no secret that when James Watkins' Speak No Evil remake was first announced, just a year after the release of the Danish original, people were… thoughtsHorror fans took to social media in droves to wonder aloud about the benefits of a Hollywood version, drawing attention to the fact that much of Christian Tafrdup's film is in English anyway.
James McAvoy, however, has “never seen the problem” with remaking certain films, especially when it might bring audiences back to the titles they're based on.
“When I did Macbeth, I didn’t do a remake of Macbeth,” the actor, who plays antagonist Paddy Feld in the new film, explains to GamesRadar+ and Inside Total Film. “Yes, it’s been done a billion times before, but great stories can be told over and over again, especially when audiences haven’t seen them the first time. Did the film community go to see the original film? No. Are they going to go see the original film? Maybe they will now, if they’ve seen this one and they’re like, ‘I’d love to see that other version. ’ So I think there’s no problem, and I’ve never seen the problem.”
Written and directed by Watkins, whose previous works include Eden Lake and The Woman in Black, Speak No Evil centers on Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), an American couple who have grown apart since moving to London. While on vacation in Italy, the couple and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) strike up a fast friendship with an outgoing Englishman named Patrick (McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their mute son Ant (Dan Gough).
Back in town, they receive an invitation from Paddy and his family to visit their remote farm in the West Country for a weekend, which they accept after some deliberation. However, soon after their arrival, they realise that their new hosts are not as friendly as they first seemed…
“There's no point in remaking a film unless you bring something a little bit different to it. Because Christian's film isn't very old, it's out there and it's really good. If you want to see it, you can. I saw his film, I thought it was fantastic and I thought, 'Well, I can. I can do something slightly different,'” Watkins says in a later chat. “There's a lot of noise and you can get caught up in it. You can always get defensive, but at the same time, you have to remind yourself that these people haven't seen my film.
“It's like saying, 'You know what? Go watch the movie and then comment, and if you don't like it, that's fine. That's your right. ' Everybody has the right to dislike something, especially if you're paying money. But when it's just an abstract thought? It's silly. But hey, listen, it's easy to be cynical, and honestly, I am. 'They're remaking that? Oh…' I am. So I don't know, I just thought it was a brilliant story. This is a different take on a brilliant story. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't work. It doesn't negate the existence of Christian's movie, which is brilliant.”
Spoiler-filled details aside, it probably won’t come as a surprise to those who’ve seen Tafdrup’s chilling 2022 film to learn that Watkins’ Speak No Evil has a very different ending. That’s not the only way it changes things up, though. McAvoy’s Paddy is far more warm, volatile and openly emotional than Fedja van Huêt’s Patrick — harder to read, to begin with. It delves much deeper into Paddy and his wife’s past and is also darkly funny in places, which is not how genre fans would describe its predecessor.
“They're different. They say different things, and I'm not making this movie for people who saw the first one,” McAvoy continues. “We were making this movie for people who never saw the first one. So, I don't know if that's a problem for me, actually.”
Speak No Evil is out September 12. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time or our guide to the most thrilling horror movies coming soon.
Hear more of our conversation with McAvoy on an upcoming episode of the Inside Total Film podcast, which is available on Apple, Audioboom, Spotify, and more.