MOVIE NEWS – James McAvoy Undergoes a Truly Animalistic Transformation for His New Film, *Speak No Evil*, where he initially plays a charming and intriguing character who slowly reveals his darker side.

“I was fortunate coming into this film because I had already put on some muscle beforehand,” explained the Scottish actor to *Entertainment Weekly*. “I had been training for years for roles like the ones in *Split* and *Glass*, which required me to bulk up to emphasize the brutality of my characters. This film needed the same, but the situation was trickier. In *Speak No Evil*, my character starts off as likable, so we had to ensure he didn’t look intimidating right away. At the beginning of the story, when the two families are just vacationing and everything is bright and sunny, we couldn’t give away that the villain had already arrived. As the story progresses, I had to become more physically imposing. I achieved this using the classic method that actors use for superhero films to look as super as possible: low carbs, high protein, and pumped-up muscles. I had the foundation already, so it was easy. That said, I’m back to my normal form now. I’m not scrawny, but I’m not jacked either.”

*Speak No Evil* is a 2022 Danish horror film and the American adaptation of *The Visit*. Director James Watkins describes his film as less about gore and more about emotional motivation. The plot follows an American family with young children who, during a vacation, befriends an English couple with kids of their own. Out of mutual fondness, the English couple invites the Americans to their secluded country estate. However, the guests soon realize that the friendly hosts did not invite them for further bonding, and they are far from being amicable.

(*Speak No Evil* – U.S. release date: September 12, 2024.)