The Silent Hill movie franchise will get its third instalment when Return to Silent Hill hits cinemas at present (twenty third January), however followers are solely simply realising the collection’ eerie true story
The Silent Hill movie franchise has gotten its third instalment with the discharge of Return to Silent Hill, nevertheless it turns on the market’s a creepy true story behind the collection that many followers do not learn about. The psychological horror movie franchise relies on the video video games of the identical title, and Return to Silent Hill, which was launched on Friday (twenty third January), is particularly primarily based on Silent Hill 2.
Nevertheless, when arising with the fictional city of Silent Hill that they’d use within the movie variations, inspiration was taken from a real-life city in America that went via a tragedy, which makes it eerily much like Silent Hill. Within the movies and the video games, Silent Hill is a spot in West Virginia, however journey to Pennsylvania, and you will discover an actual city which is simply as empty – and simply as foggy – as Silent Hill.
That city is Centralia, and it is attracted many online game followers and movie buffs to go to the placement due to its unusual connection to Silent Hill, despite the fact that visiting the world is strongly discouraged.
Whilst you will not discover monsters in Centralia, one can find one of many different key elements that make Silent Hill so distinguishable – fog.
In 1962, Centralia’s native authorities burned the native landfill in an try to wash up waste. The hearth unfold via the unsealed tunnels that led into an deserted coal mine, which ignited a fireplace that’s nonetheless burning at present, over 60 years later.
Native firefighters couldn’t put out the fireplace, so the federal government determined that Centralia wanted to be evacuated for the protection of its residents – similar to in Silent Hill. The air in Centralia is taken into account harmful, and it’s endorsed that folks keep away from exposing themselves to the surroundings for lengthy intervals of time.
Most individuals left Centralia when it was evacuated, however just a few stayed, and one of many remaining buildings is a church that’s nonetheless in use. That is additionally similar to the story of Silent Hill, as only some residents stay within the fictional city and proceed to attend church providers.
The builders of Silent Hill didn’t base their sport on Centralia, however the movie collection did take inspiration from the real-life location, and it has been dubbed the “real-life Silent Hill”.
Centralia has attracted many online game and movie followers to go to the placement due to its connection to Silent Hill, together with one TikTok person who posted a video during which he made the journey to the so-called ghost city.
Footage of Centralia confirmed smoke nonetheless billowing from the Earth in a forest space filled with lifeless bushes, in addition to empty streets and a shot of the operational church standing as one of many solely remaining buildings.
He captioned his video: “I visited the real-life Silent Hill. Centralia, PA, was deserted attributable to an underground coal fireplace that is been burning because the Nineteen Sixties. Only a few buildings stay within the city to this present day, together with a church, a municipal constructing, and homes.”
The Division of Environmental Safety within the US maintains that the world encompassed by the Centralia Mine Hearth is extraordinarily harmful, they usually “strongly discourage” anybody from visiting.
They state that not solely are there “harmful gases” attributable to the fireplace, however the floor is “susceptible to sudden and surprising collapse”.
Return to Silent Hill shall be launched in UK cinemas on January twenty third, 2026, and is rated 15.
