Focus Features has acquiredinternational sales rights to Davis Film Productions' adaptation of Konami'ssmash videogame series Silent Hill,with Christophe Gans set to direct and Davis Film's Samuel Hadida producing fora March 2005 start.

Sales will commence at nextmonth's AFM. Hadida's distribution company Metropolitan Filmexport will releasein France and a North American distributor is expected to be announced shortly.

Davis Film is financing thesupernatural thriller and will produce in association with Konami Corporation.

Based on a screenplay byRoger Avary, Silent Hill centreson a mother and daughter's quest to discover the secrets of a seeminglyabandoned town frequented by nightmarish creatures. Konami says the games hassold more than 4 million units worldwide to date.

"I am thrilled that Konamihas entrusted me with this valuable franchise, and that Roger and Christopheare able to collaborate in bringing to life their shared passion for the SilentHill games," said Hadida, whocollaborated with Gans on the 2001 supernatural thriller Brotherhood Of TheWolf, in a statement.

"Silent Hill has all the ingredients for a breakout franchise,"Focus Features' co-president David Linde added. "We've had a mutuallysuccessful relationship with Samuel for many years and are enormously pleasedto be able to work with him on this extraordinary project."

Hadida is currentlyproducing Tony Scott's Dominostarring Keira Knightley in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He is also preparing thevideogame adaptation of Onimushawith Gaga Productions, on which Focus is handling international sales.