Director of "Return to Silent Hill" Christophe Gans confirmed that the film has an alternative, extended version. He spoke about it during a question-and-answer session held to mark the film's premiere.
According to Gans, the director's cut paid more attention to emotional scenes and character development. In particular, it included an episode featuring the death of one of the key characters from the original game, which did not make it into the final version.
The director added that the producers insisted on a runtime of under two hours, which meant there was simply no room for some scenes in the final cut. Gans expressed hope that audiences would eventually get to see the full version of the film. However, there are currently no specific plans for an official release of the extended version.
The theatrical run of "Return to Silent Hill" has been challenging. In the United States, the film opened with $3.2 million in its first weekend, but it is still too early to call it a failure. The film's budget is estimated at $23 million, while its worldwide box office for the debut weekend, according to Box Office Mojo, exceeded $5 million. At the same time, the largest foreign market at launch was Russia, with $2.6 million.
These figures do not include China, where the film debuted in first place and grossed $9.3 million over the period from January 23 to 25. Thus, the total box office for the first weekend amounted to at least $17.5 million. After updated weekly figures are published on Monday, February 2, that amount will increase — and the film still has a chance to turn a profit.