In 2007, Wan directed two featured films. The first was the horror film "Dead Silence", which was the result of advice from Wan and Whannell's agent at the time; Wan and Whannell has since stated that the film was a negative experience for them. "Dead Silence" featured Australian actor Ryan Kwanten and is based on the premise of a legend, whereby the ghost of a ventriloquist, Mary Shaw, removes the tongue of any person who screams in its presence. Rather than a gore movie, Wan described the film as "a creepy doll movie. It's in the spirit of those old "Twilight Zone" episodes or Hammer Horror Films. Very old-school." The film grossed over $22 million against a production budget of $20 million. It received negative reviews from critics.