Sam Raimi Buys Siren Movie Rights

Ghost House Pictures, the production company founded by Evil Dead veterans Sam Raimi and Rob Taper have acquired the film rights to Sony’s horror themed video games series Siren (aka Forbidden Siren). It is not clear whether Spider-Man director Raimi will direct the movie, but movie trade paper Variety reports that script writer Michael Gordon, who has just finished work on the movie script for comic book license 300, will be working closely with the game’s director Keiichiro Toyama. Toyama was one of the co-creators of the Silent Hill series, and although Siren was not as significant a commercial or critical hit, it was noted for its well drawn and frightening atmosphere as a disparate group of individuals explore a haunted Japanese village. A sequel is currently scheduled for release in Japan next month. The connection to Silent Hill could be of additional benefit in movie terms, as the recently released trailer for Christophe Gans' big screen adaptation has drawn considerable praise, not least from fans praising its apparent similarity to the game. Whether either film will break the often negative stereotype of game-to-film productions, though, remains to be seen.