HE is the comedy legend who blended belly laugh routines with spectacular stunts in the silent era of the silver screen. Now, Buster Keaton is back with a startling new voice … that of rock star Michael Stipe.

In an unlikely partnership, Keaton’s classic Sherlock Jnr. is heading to a cinema near you in the New Year, with the action soundtracked not by a piano man sitting side-stage, but by Stipe’s arena-filling band, R.E.M.

Michael Stipe

The 1924 comedy follows a day-dreaming projectionist who imagines himself as a detective inside the films he screens, and who gets caught up in a trail of thefts, a beautiful woman and a villainous Sheik.

Originally silent, the action will now play out to songs from R.E.M’s Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi albums, with screenings at selected cinemas across the UK starting on February 5, 2026. 

The original movie poster

It’s the latest in the Silents Synced series pairing classic silent movies with iconic rock music, which earned rave reviews after vampire classic Nosferatu was soundtracked by Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac.

“The guys thought it sounded like a great idea,” says Bertis Downs, R.E.M’s longtime manager. “They were struck by the uncanny way their music aligned with Sherlock Jr. — it’s kind of perfect. What a brilliant and unexpected way to present great art.”

Each Silents Synced pairing is thoughtfully curated, with albums selected not only for their music but for thematic parallels to the films themselves, bringing new life to century-old classics.

For screenings and tickets, head to the official website.