Keira Knightley has previously starred in the modern-day Christmas classic Love Actually, and the disaster comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, but she will soon find herself in a movie that combines elements from both of those films, for a rather unique spin on the Holiday genre with Silent Night. The upcoming comedic drama, from writer-director Camille Griffin, about a group of friends spending what could very possibly be not only their final Christmas together but also their last night alive will soon come to theaters and AMC+, and we have just about everything you need to know before it arrives this holiday season. Here are seven quick things we know about Silent Night.
Silent Night Will Be Released In Theaters And On AMC+ In December 2021
Just before Silent Night made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021, AMC Networks announced that not only had it acquired the North American rights to the upcoming Christmas disaster film but that the movie would premiere at some point in December 2021. A date hasn’t been officially announced at this time, but Silent Night will premiere in theaters (through AMC’s RLJE Films) and on the AMC+ streaming service simultaneously. Expect to hear more details on an exact date of release for the movie in the coming weeks.
The Silent Night Cast Includes Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode And Lily-Rose Depp
One thing that is for sure about Silent Night is that its cast is absolutely stacked with talented actors, even when you’re not talking about its star Keira Knightley. Per AMC Networks, the upcoming end-of-the-world comedic Christmas drama will see Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), Lily-Rose Depp (Voyagers), Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Lucy Punch (Bad Teacher), Annabelle Wallis (Malignant), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Cruella), Sope Dirisu (Gangs of London), and Rufus Jones (Stan and Ollie). The characters that each of the actors will be playing has not yet been revealed at this time, but expect to hear an update on that in the near future.
Silent Night Follows A Group Of Friends Spending Their Last Christmas Together Before The End Of The World
When Silent Night opens in theaters and starts streaming on AMC+ in December, it will tell the story of a group of friends reuniting for what could very well be the final Christmas get-together not just for them, but for the whole world. The official logline reads:
Silent Night follows a group of old friends who — in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom — reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. Burdened with the inconvenience of mankind’s destruction, they adopt a stiff upper lip, crack open another bottle of Prosecco, and continue with their festivities.
As you can probably tell by now, this won’t be your average Christmas movie, but it sounds like one we won’t be forgetting for quite some time.
Silent Night Is The Directorial Debut Of Writer/Director Camille Griffin
When Silent Night was first announced in January 2020, Deadline revealed that the comedic end-of-the-world drama would be written and directed by Camille Griffin, the mother of JoJo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis, who also stars in the upcoming Christmas film. This will be the feature-length directorial debut for Griffin whose previous efforts include five short films that she wrote and directed between 2003 and 2013. Prior to that, Griffin worked in various camera departments on movies that include Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace and Layer Cake alongside cinematographers like Darius Khondji and Ben Davis, to whom she is married.
When AMC Networks announced it would be handing the North American release of Silent Night, RLFE Films Chief Acquisitions Officer Mark Ward called the movie a “true achievement” for the first-time feature film director, saying that it couldn’t be “more timely” for the questions it asks its audience.
The Kingsman’s Matthew Vaughn Is One Of The Silent Night Producers
Producing Silent Night is a trio of producers behind some of the most popular movies of the past two decades, including Matthew Vaughn, the mastermind behind the Kingsman franchise, including the soon-to-be-released The King’s Man, through his Marv Studios. The other two producers behind Silent Night are Trudie Styler (Moon, Still Alice) and Celine Rattray (The Kids Are All Right, Filth).
Director Camille Griffin previously worked alongside Matthew Vaughn on the 2004 crime drama Layer Cake, starring a pre-007 Daniel Craig, and Tom Hardy. In the past, Marv Studios has produced everything from the Kick Ass franchise to Rocketman.
Production On Silent Night Took Place In February 2020
Silent Night will open in theaters and begin streaming on AMC+ at some point in December 2021, a little less than two years after production on the Christmas disaster film first kicked off. In early February 2020, when announcing additions to the Silent Night cast, Deadline reported that cameras would start rolling on Camille Griffin’s holiday drama later that month. It hasn’t been made entirely clear if the production was able to wrap before film and television shoots around the world were forced to shut down in the early days of that year, but the film was completed in time for its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021.
Silent Night’s Score Was Composed By The Crown’s Lorne Balfe
Lorne Balfe, the prolific musician who has composed arrangements for everything from the hit Netflix series The Crown to movies like Mission: Impossible — Fallout and The Tomorrow War, was tasked with putting together the score for the upcoming Silent Night, according to film’s credits page on the Toronto International Film Festival website. Throughout his career, Balfe has worked extensively with Hans Zimmer, on films like The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, and another Christmas classic, The Holiday. The two were even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2017 for their work on Genius.
Expect to read more about Silent Night (especially its release date) as we get closer to the film's upcoming debut at some point in December. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's list of 2021 movie premiere dates so you don't miss anything coming to a theater and streaming service near you.
