Nicolas Winding Refn, the writer/director behind The Pusher Trilogy (1996-2005), 2009’s Valhalla Rising, 2011’s Drive, 2013’s Only God Forgives and 2016’s The Neon Demon, is returning to the big screen for The Avenging Silence.
The director hinted that The Avenging Silence will bring back themes and characters inspired by his last features, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, which were both equally stylish and graphic. In an interview with Variety, Refn promised the film “will have a lot of glitter and lot of sex and violence”.
The original The Avenging Silence script, written by Bond writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis, follows a former European spy who accepts a mission from a Japanese businessman to take down the head of a Yakuza boss in Japan (via WOR).
Although it is a Tokyo-set thriller, THR reported that Refn shot The Avenging Silence in Korea last year. If true, the script was most likely revised for a Korea setting.
We’ll keep you updated on this project as we learn more. Until then, here’s the Trailer for Refn’s 2013 cult oddity, Only God Forgives:
I hope this isn’t Only God Forgives with Japan swapped for Thailand. Drive 2011 was a cool introspective thriller, but Refn’s follow up was an exercise in extreme pretentiousness and cruelty for the sake of cruelty. I’ve heard Neon Demon was ann improvement on what he was going for, so I should check that out someday.
“European spy who accepts a mission from a Japanese businessman to take down the head of a Yakuza boss in Japan”
Me Whitey killing bad Asian. No, thanks.
But I liked the fact that Only god forgives featured a pretencious Whitey that got destroyed.
Refn is such an amazing and unique director! I just love his is dark and gorgeous neon color palette. Even his awesome, over-the-top violence is done beautifully. Some of his scenes can be a tad long and slow, but they’re always so hypnotizing and I usually don’t mind. I really loved his two last series he did “Copenhagen cowboy” and “too old to die young.” This new one sounds like it has the potential to be one of his best. I hope he just picks up the pace a little and has more violent action scenes than usual. Can’t wait!!! Bronson & Drive are masterpieces!!