James McAvoy may have a murderous intent in the new trailer for Speak No Evil, a horror film based on 2022 Danish hit Gæsterne. In the clip, an American couple played by Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy arrive at a remote estate along with their daughter after meeting a seemingly charming British family on vacation. Everything appears to be going well, until they notice the family’s mute son is acting strangely and McAvoy’s character begins to menace at every turn.
The official synopsis notes, “When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare. From Blumhouse, the producer of The Black Phone, Get Out, and The Invisible Man, comes an intense suspense thriller for our modern age, starring BAFTA award-winner James McAvoy (Split, Glass) in a riveting performance as the charismatic, alpha-male estate owner whose untrammeled hospitality masks an unspeakable darkness.”
Speak No Evil also stars Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, and Daniel Hough. It was written and directed by James Watkins, and is based on the screenplay of Gæsterne, which was written by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup. The film was produced by Jason Blum, and executive produced by Beatriz Sequeira, Jacob Jarek, and Christian Tafdrup.
During the trailer debut at CinemaCon yesterday, Watkins praised McAvoy’s performance. “It’s remarkable what a kind, generous, funny, charismatic person my friend James is,” Watkins said. “Because he’s also capable of plumbing into some pretty disturbing depths in his roles.” He added of the actor’s character, “On one hand, he’s a charming and gregarious friend, host, husband and father. And on the other hand, he’s, well… not that at all.”
Speak No Evil will hit theaters on Sept. 13.