Speak No Evil is the latest upcoming horror film by director James Watkins and veteran actor James McAvoy and the world is very excited for this one as the pre-release reviews are quite great.
One thing that horror films often use to terrify audiences is to have a huge terrifying figure that can scare people out of their seats. In the case of psychological thrillers (like this film), James McAvoy refused CGI and bulked up instead.
James McAvoy Did All of That “Stupid” Stuff
By the way, we are not calling any of it “stupid” stuff. Those are Mr. McAvoy’s words. Anyways, the Split actor has once again, donned a menacing look for Speak No Evil and his muscular physique is terrifying to behold.
Portraying the role of an antagonist in the movie, McAvoy’s character loves when guests come to his house. However, it seems that he loves them a little bit too much. That is the premise of Speak No Evil and James McAvoy has quite some stories to tell.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Glass actor talked about how he chose to bulk up physically for the role since he wanted to petrify the audience. Opting not to use CGI, McAvoy revealed that he did all of the stuff that actors usually do.
I leaned out and did all that stupid stuff that actors do, thirty push-ups, five seconds before the take, just to pump my shoulders out, make my neck thicker, get the veins going.
He further continued,
To make it more animalistic, to look like I could really do some damage. Because I’m a 5ft 7 guy, you’ve got to project a lot.
Well, sounds menacing and enticing enough. But the premise of Speak No Evil seems really simple at first, since the first few minutes are about an American and a British couple having different living conditions.
The film takes a hard right and a deep dive into the genre of psychological horror, where the guests aren’t allowed to leave, and as per reports, the jumpscares are more than enough. However, McAvoy explained the film best.
James McAvoy Explained It Best
As the interview continued, McAvoy talked about how the film was made by shooting with night vision cameras. The actor simplified the premise of Speak No Evil to entice people further.
However, the X-Men: First Class actor simplified the film so much that he may have forgotten some important elements of the film. The actor further revealed that he got so much into character that the team had to often hold him back from all the violent and gore scenes.
We filmed an audience in the US with night vision cameras. They got really involved; they were shouting at my character: ‘No!’ There’s not that much violence, not that much gore, I don’t think there’s any s*x.
He ended his statement by saying “It’s really a couple of couples sitting around having chats”. Well, a diplomatic answer but an answer nonetheless. Speak No Evil has taken over the hearts of horror-loving people and the world is excited.
With a release date looming on the horizon, the film is set to release on 13 September 2024 in theaters across the U.S.
Until then… speak no evil.
