“Criminal Minds” and “Fear the Walking Dead” star Aisha Tyler is set to direct a psychological thriller called “Silent John” that will begin filming this summer.
“Silent John” is Tyler’s second feature after “Axis” from 2017. The new film is set in County Galway, Ireland, and casting will begin soon.
The film follows a young couple who visit a rustic B&B in Ireland ahead of the birth of their first child, only to discover that their host and his mute groundskeeper share a viciously harrowing secret. Emmett Hughes wrote the script for the socially conscious thriller, which focuses on the historic abuses of the Catholic church against unwed mothers and explores how a man gets lost between his faith, the church and his own sanity.
“Silent John” is a production of Hidden Empire Film Group. Tyler developed the film along with John Doherty and David Jacobson. HEFG’s Roxanne Avent Taylor will produce the film alongside David Jacobson, Artistry Collective’s John Doherty and Hot Machine Films’ Aisha Tyler and Emmett Hughes. HEFG’s Deon Taylor will serve as executive producer.
“I am thrilled to be working with the killer team at HEFG. Their enthusiasm and passion for this project is energizing and it’s gratifying they share my vision for this story,” Tyler said. “‘Silent John’ is a terrifying portrait of institutional abuse and its lifelong effects on the psyche; I look forward to Roxanne’s creative producing intensity, along with my brilliant producing partners Emmett Hughes, John Doherty and David Jacobson, helping to bring this riveting film to life.”
“It is a privilege to collaborate with Aisha Tyler on our upcoming production, ‘Silent John,’” Roxanne Avent Taylor of Hidden Empire Film Group said in a statement. “Aisha is an incredibly talented filmmaker, producer and actress with a keen eye for storytelling. She is going to knock this out of the park and it’s exciting to be working side by side with such an empowering woman.”
Aisha Tyler is represented by CAA, Fourward and attorney John Meigs at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. Roxanne Avent Taylor is represented by UTA and Artistry Collective.
Deadline first reported the news.