Speak No Evil filmed in Croatia hits cinemas 

(Screenshot/YouTube)

The psychological horror film Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins and starring James McAvoy in the lead role, hit cinemas this week.

The film was shot in Croatia during the spring of 2023 as part of the Filming in Croatia programme. MP Film Production, with producer Igor A. Nola, handled the project’s production services.

Filming took place in Istria in May 2023, in Grožnjan, Motovun, and the surrounding areas (Kaldir) over a span of four days.

A total of 144 crew members participated in the project, 99 of whom were Croatian film professionals. In addition, three interns and 114 extras were engaged.

Speak No Evil was filmed in Croatia under the service production of MP Film Production. The shoot was made possible through the incentive measures of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre – Filming in Croatia.

“We filmed the opening part of the movie in Croatia, and the first day of the entire project was shot here, with all the actors present. The first day of filming is always full of adrenaline, but my team helped ensure that the entire shoot in Motovun, Grožnjan, and the villa was carried out at the highest professional level. Thanks to good organisation, we were able to be both relaxed and efficient,” said producer Igor A. Nola, HAVC reported.

“This is already my third project with director James Watkins and director of photography Tim Maurice-Jones, and my fifth with producer Paul Ritchie, following the films Diana, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, as well as the series McMafia and The Ipcress File. It’s also my second collaboration with producer Jason Blum. They were keen to see locations in Italy but also wanted to visit Istria, which they were already familiar with. In addition to the locations, our professionalism and readiness to organise the shoot in a short period were deciding factors,” Nola added.

Grožnjan

Speak No Evil is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name (dir. Christian Tafdrup). The story follows an American family who accepts an invitation from a charming British family they befriended on holiday to spend a weekend together at an idyllic countryside estate.

However, what begins as a dream getaway soon turns into a psychological nightmare.

Alongside BAFTA award-winner James McAvoy, the film also stars Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy.

“We are expecting a very strong response from cinema-goers, especially among fans of the genre, namely psychological thrillers. Of course, a big draw is James McAvoy, who has repeatedly proven himself in thematically similar films. He is a very convincing, authentic, and outstanding actor. The fact that part of the film was shot in Croatia, in the beautiful Istria, is also a big plus, with scenes of Istria’s stunning landscapes enhancing the overall feel of the film,” said representatives from Editus, the Croatian distributor of the film.

Speak No Evil is produced by Jason Blum (Five Nights at Freddy’s, M3GAN) for Blumhouse and Paul Ritchie (Diana, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, McMafia, The Ipcress File) and executive produced by Beatriz Sequeira for Blumhouse, Jacob Jarek, and Christian Tafdrup.