horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
written and directed by
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
. It is the sequel to the 2018 film '' A Quiet Place'', following the family from the first film as they continue to navigate and survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind aliens with an acute sense of hearing.
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
,
Millicent Simmonds
Millicent Simmonds (born March 6, 2003) is a deaf American actress who starred in the 2018 horror film ''A Quiet Place'' and its 2020 sequel ''A Quiet Place Part II''. Her breakout role was in the 2017 drama film '' Wonderstruck''. For ''Wonders ...
Okieriete Onaodowan
Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan ( ; born August 16, 1987) is an American actor and singer known for originating the dual roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the 2015 musical ''Hamilton'' and the role of Dean Miller in the ABC drama and ''Gr ...
join the cast, with Krasinski returning from the first film in a new flashback sequence.
Paramount Pictures began the development of a sequel in April 2018, following the box-office success of the first film. By the following August, Krasinski was working on the screenplay, and in February 2019, he was confirmed as returning to direct. Production took place in
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
from June to September 2019. Krasinski was credited with writing the sequel, based on characters created by
Bryan Woods
Bryan Woods (born September 14, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and raised in Bettendorf. Woods co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Scott Beck. Together they co-wrote ''A Quiet Pla ...
and
Scott Beck
Scott Beck (born October 22, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. Beck co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Bryan Woods. Together they co-wrote ''A Qui ...
. The sequel was produced on a budget of around , over three times the original's .
The film had its world premiere in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, it was theatrically released in the United States on , 2021. It became available to stream on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical debut. The film set several box office records, including the biggest opening weekend during the course of the pandemic, and grossed $297.4million worldwide. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the story and the addition of Murphy's character Emmett.
A spin-off, ''Day One'', is set for a release in 2024, while a sequel, ''Part III'', is in the works and scheduled to be released in 2025.
Plot
During a Little League game, the Abbott family – wife Evelyn, husband Lee, deaf daughter Regan, and sons Marcus and Beau – and other spectators witness a strange
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere.
...
-like object hurtle towards the Earth. Hostile extraterrestrial creatures that emerged from the asteroid, attack and begin slaughtering people. The blind creatures possess armored skin, have extraordinary speed and strength, and track victims with hypersensitive hearing, attacking anything that makes a noise.
Over a year later, the creatures have killed much of the Earth's population, including Lee and Beau. Regan has discovered that high-frequency audio feedback makes them vulnerable, and she devises a makeshift method of transmitting the noise from her cochlear implant through a portable microphone. With their home destroyed, the family searches for other survivors. Entering a fenced-off area, Evelyn accidentally sets off a sound alarm, alerting the creatures. As they flee, Marcus steps into a bear trap, attracting a creature with his screams. Regan and Evelyn kill the creature, free Marcus, then run into an abandoned steel
foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
.
An old friend, Emmett, appears and takes them to his soundproof underground hideout. Emmett, who has recently lost his family and developed a cynical outlook on life, refuses to help further and says they cannot stay. Marcus hears the song " Beyond the Sea" playing on the radio, which Emmett says has aired continuously for four months. Regan determines it is a hint that survivors are on a nearby island. She theorizes that if she can reach the island's radio tower, the hearing aid's high-frequency noise can be broadcast so other survivors can weaponize the signal. She secretly ventures out alone to find the island; Evelyn begs Emmett to find her. He does and saves her from a creature. Regan persuades Emmett to help complete her mission. Evelyn leaves Marcus and her newborn baby at the foundry to fetch medical supplies in town. Marcus discovers the corpse of Emmett's wife. Startled, he alerts a creature and accidentally locks himself and the baby inside an air-tight compartment.
Emmett and Regan arrive at a marina to board a boat to the island. They are attacked by bandits, and Emmett deliberately creates noise and attracts creatures that slaughter the attackers. When one creature drowns, he realizes that the creatures cannot swim. The two row to the island where a small colony of survivors is living normally. The colony leader reveals that when the government discovered the creatures were unable to swim, the
U.S. National Guard
The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
as Evelyn Abbott. Now widowed, she leads her family to search for other humans.
* Cillian Murphy as Emmett, a friend of Lee's who is now a hardened, reclusive survivor whose children were killed by the aliens and wife died of an unspecified illness. Murphy described his character as such, "For me, Emmett represents where the heart of the world lies right now, which is: finally feeling like they've all given up. Here comes this girl
egan
Egan may refer to:
People
* Egan (surname)
* Egan (given name)
Places in the United States
* Egan, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Egan, Louisiana, an unincorporated community and census-designated place
* Egan, South Dakota, a city
* Eg ...
who allows you to believe in more, and allows you to believe in yourself. That idea, I've always been really enthralled by."
*
Millicent Simmonds
Millicent Simmonds (born March 6, 2003) is a deaf American actress who starred in the 2018 horror film ''A Quiet Place'' and its 2020 sequel ''A Quiet Place Part II''. Her breakout role was in the 2017 drama film '' Wonderstruck''. For ''Wonders ...
as Regan Abbott, Evelyn's deaf daughter. Simmonds, who is deaf in real life, described her character's evolution after the first film, "She has a lot of pressure to become an adult very quickly." Simmonds has a more prominent role in the sequel, and according to '' Syfy Wire'',
deafness
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
and
American Sign Language
American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual lang ...
"are inherently linked to the heroism of its heroine." Simmonds worked with an ASL coach to make sure her signing and articulation were clean. She said she felt "a sense of pressure" being in a position to represent the deaf and hard of hearing.
* Noah Jupe as Marcus Abbott, Evelyn's son.
* Djimon Hounsou as the Man on the Island, the leader of a small island colony of survivors.
*
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
as Lee Abbott, Evelyn's deceased husband and father of her children. He appears in an opening flashback sequence set the day when the creatures first arrived on Earth and attacked. Krasinski said he wrote himself into the sequel because the first film "was such a personal experience" and his "love letter" to his children. He said, "It was really important for me to continue the metaphor and we actually start dealing with how this all started."
*
Scoot McNairy
John Marcus "Scoot" McNairy (born November 11, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles in ''Monsters'', ''Argo'', ''Killing Them Softly'', '' 12 Years a Slave'', '' Gone Girl'', and '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of J ...
as Marina Man, who leads a small group of deranged bandits that prey on travelers trying to reach the nearby island.
* Alice Sophie Malyukova as Girl at Marina, a member of the bandits who lures Emmett into a trap by pretending to be helpless.
* Dean Woodward as Beau Abbott, Evelyn's deceased son who appears in the flashback sequence. He was portrayed by Cade Woodward, who is Dean's real-life older brother, in the first film.
*
Okieriete Onaodowan
Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan ( ; born August 16, 1987) is an American actor and singer known for originating the dual roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the 2015 musical ''Hamilton'' and the role of Dean Miller in the ABC drama and ''Gr ...
as Ronnie, a police officer who is among the first to die when the creatures attack.
* Zachary Golinger as Emmett's young son, seen in the opening sequence, who has since died.
* Lauren Ashley Cristiano as Emmett's deceased wife, seen in the opening flashback sequence.
* Wayne Duvall as Roger, a grocery store owner.
* Barbara Singer as Woman in Store, an elderly woman at Roger's grocery store.
Production
''A Quiet Place Part II'' was produced under
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
with a budget of . It was written and directed by
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
, who also produced the film alongside
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...
,
Andrew Form
Andrew Form (born 1969) is an American film producer, best known for producing the films '' Friday the 13th'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', and ''The Purge''. He is the co-founder of company Platinum Dunes along with Michael Bay and Brad F ...
Paramount produced the first film, '' A Quiet Place'', on a budget of . The studio released the film in the United States and Canada in April 2018, where it grossed on opening weekend, well above a mid-$20 million forecast. Later in April, Paramount Chair and CEO
Jim Gianopulos
James N. Gianopulos ( el, Δημήτρης Γιαννόπουλος) is an American businessman. He served as the head of 20th Century Fox and most recently as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Paramount Pictures until his ouster i ...
announced that a sequel was in development. The first film totaled $188 million in the US and Canada and $340.9 million worldwide. John Krasinski, who co-wrote, directed and starred in the first film, said he considered it "as a one-off". Uncertain of finding similar success in a sequel, he initially told Paramount to seek another writer and director. The first film's screenwriters
Scott Beck
Scott Beck (born October 22, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. Beck co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Bryan Woods. Together they co-wrote ''A Qui ...
and
Bryan Woods
Bryan Woods (born September 14, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and raised in Bettendorf. Woods co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Scott Beck. Together they co-wrote ''A Quiet Pla ...
did not return for the sequel. Woods said they were not interested in a franchise approach, and that they would rather try "to create original ideas" and use their writing credits "as an opportunity to push several projects." Beck said, "Instead of focusing on sequels per se, it's about investing back into the ecosystem of original ideas in a massive marketplace."
Three months after ''A Quiet Place''s release, Krasinski decided to brainstorm ideas for a sequel. According to Krasinski, Paramount rejected pitches from other writers and directors that were considered too franchise-oriented. He said, "I had this small idea, which was to make Millie immondsthe lead of the movie... her character opens the door to all the themes I was dealing with in the first movie." The studio invited him to write a script based on his idea. By August 2018, Krasinski was writing the film. He wrote a draft in three and a half weeks. In the following February, he was confirmed to direct the sequel, and actors
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
,
Millicent Simmonds
Millicent Simmonds (born March 6, 2003) is a deaf American actress who starred in the 2018 horror film ''A Quiet Place'' and its 2020 sequel ''A Quiet Place Part II''. Her breakout role was in the 2017 drama film '' Wonderstruck''. For ''Wonders ...
, and Noah Jupe were set to reprise their roles. In March, Cillian Murphy joined the cast. In the following June,
Brian Tyree Henry
Brian Tyree Henry (born March 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the FX comedy-drama series ''Atlanta'' (2016–2022), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstan ...
was also added, but later left the film due to scheduling problems. He was replaced by Djimon Hounsou in August.
Filming
In June 2019, production began on the sequel. Filming officially commenced on . There were 47 days of filming throughout
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
Olcott Olcott may refer to:
Places
*Olcott, Bell County, Kentucky
*Olcott, New York
*Olcott, West Virginia
* Olcott (crater), a relatively fresh crater on the far side of the Moon
Other uses
*Olcott (surname) Olcott is a surname. Notable people with the ...
,
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Lackawanna, and Buffalo. Other locations included Erie County and the city of
North Tonawanda
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 31,568 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Tonawanda Creek, its south bo ...
South Buffalo
South Buffalo is a neighborhood that makes up the southern third of the City of Buffalo, New York. Traditionally known for its large Irish-American community, this community also has a strong presence of various other nationalities. The once-hea ...
. One of the last filming locations, the northbound
South Grand Island Bridge
The South Grand Island Bridge is a pair of twin two-lane truss arch bridges spanning the Niagara River between Tonawanda and Grand Island in New York, United States. Each bridge carries one direction of Interstate 190 (I-190) and New Yor ...
, was shut down for 13 hours for filming.
In addition to Western New York, filming took place in the
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
, specifically the towns of
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
, Pawling, and New Paltz. In New Paltz, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail was revisited to film on a bridge that featured in the first film. The production invested over $10 million in
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
, created 400 hires, and involved 300 background actors. By late September, production was finished.
Cinematography
Polly Morgan was the cinematographer for ''A Quiet Place Part II'', replacing
Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Charlotte Bruus Christensen (born 20 March 1978) is a Danish cinematographer.
Biography
Born in Denmark, Christensen earned a master's degree in cinematography from the National Film and Television School in the UK, in 2004. After film school ...
from the first film. Morgan continued the first film's use of
35 mm film 35 mm may refer to:
* 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film
* 35 mm movie film
35 mm film is a film gauge used in filmmaking, and the film standard. In motion pictures that record on f ...
and described its effect, "Although ''A Quiet Place 2'' is a horror, it looks pretty and engaging, with a nostalgic look that you would find hard to achieve digitally." The film's "extensive dark situations" (night scenes and stage work that comprised 75% of screen time) were shot with Kodak Vision3 500T 5219 film stock, while Vision3 250D 5207 was used mainly for day exteriors. Morgan filmed with Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras and T-Series anamorphic lenses, which had been adjusted to match the C-Series lenses Christensen used on the first film. One of Morgan's most challenging situations was lighting and shooting the furnace setting.
The sequel's cinematography also evolved from its predecessor in following more action. Morgan described director Krasinski's intent, "John wanted to always keep the camera moving and create long 'oners' to play with rhythm and tension and to show how normal life can suddenly become very different and dangerous—all in the same shot." Morgan used an array of tracking vehicles, on which there were different camera mounts including
jib
A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsails ...
s, cranes, and Steadicam vests, with the vehicles often going full speed.
Sound design
For the sequel's sound design, supervising sound editors
Erik Aadahl
Erik Aadahl (born September 16, 1976) is an American sound editor. He is best known for providing Godzilla's roar in the 2014 film of the same name. He also voiced Bumblebee in '' Transformers: The Last Knight''.
Career
He graduated from the U ...
and
Ethan Van der Ryn
Ethan Van der Ryn (born October 21, 1962) is an American sound editor.
He won 2 Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and ''King Kong''. He earned further Academy Awards nominations for ''Transfo ...
and re-recording mixer Brandon Proctor returned for the film. Krasinski instructed them to try to "follow the rules" set up in the first film and said of the experience, "What we found was by doing that, and not trying to be cool, we ended up uncovering way more stuff than we ever would've been able to therwise"
In an interview with ''Headliner Magazine'', Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl shared how sound (and silence) was a central character in the film: "We started hearing stories after the first film that people were afraid to eat their popcorn in the theatre! That was thrilling for us to hear because it's like, ‘Okay, this experiment that we tried actually works’! We were able to literally make the audience hold their breath."
Marketing
When Paramount Pictures planned to commercially release ''A Quiet Place Part II'' in March 2020, the studio released a 30-second teaser trailer before select theatrical screenings of '' Black Christmas'', which was released on December 13, 2019. Less than a week later, the teaser trailer became available online. A full trailer was released on January 1, 2020. During pre-game coverage before the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
on February 2, 2020, Paramount released a 30-second TV spot, which revealed that Krasinski had reprised his role in a newly filmed flashback sequence.
In early March, Paramount initiated "survival room" experiences in New York and Los Angeles in which groups of visitors could try to overcome "physical and mental obstacles" without making too much noise. The setups cost less than a million dollars for Paramount. A marketing executive anticipated between seven thousand and eight thousand people to go through the experience and for fans and social media influencers to engage in experiential marketing.
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards. ...
appeared on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' on March 10 to promote the film. She appeared in a parody commercial advertising ''A Quiet Plane'', starring as a stewardess that enforces silence as a top priority to a plane's passengers. Before the film's postponement ( see below), Paramount planned to host a
double-feature
The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.
Opera use
Opera h ...
event on March 18, 2020, that would have screened the first and second films and given collector's prints to attendees.
Following the postponement of ''A Quiet Place Part II'' and other films during the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, teleconferencing became popular, and Paramount's marketing team started providing virtual backgrounds of ''A Quiet Place Part II'' and other films to be available on Zoom Video Communications.
For the film's eventual May 2021 release date, Paramount released a final trailer several weeks in advance. ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s William Hughes wrote that the new trailer was a retread of previous trailers with the most noteworthy element being its message that the film was the "experience that theaters are made for", encouraging increasingly-vaccinated moviegoers during the pandemic to go to movie theaters.
Release
''A Quiet Place Part II'' had its world premiere at the
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on , 2020. Paramount Pictures released the film in theaters on , 2021 after a year's worth of delays due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described it as "one of the first major films to receive an exclusive theatrical release from a Hollywood studio in the not-quite-post-coronavirus era." The studio released the film on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical release.
Originally set for May 15, 2020 and March 20, 2020, as the pandemic case numbers had begun to rise in mid March, Paramount postponed it to , 2020.
* Without a streaming service from 2020 to early 2021, Paramount auctioned off multiple upcoming feature films but decided to keep ''A Quiet Place Part II''. The studio eventually changed the date to , 2021, then, before moving it to May 28, 2021.
Postponement
The studio initially planned to release the film in theaters globally starting on , 2020, before it delayed the film due to the pandemic. Paramount had already spent around 60% of its budget for global prints and advertising, and ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' wrote that the film's delay was "truly a shocker" because the P&A expenses seemed to indicate that rescheduling was not an option. The studio films slated for the previous weekend, March 13, were the last to be released before mass theater closures. Director John Krasinski said he wanted moviegoers to see the film together and that with the pandemic, it was not the right time to provide that experience.
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
wrote that in particular, the film and '' In the Heights'' were considered films best experienced with a crowd.
The film was initially to be released in the United Kingdom and Australia on , 2020, and in the United States and Canada, including
Dolby Cinema
Dolby Cinema is a premium cinema created by Dolby Laboratories that combines Dolby proprietary technologies such as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, as well as other signature entrance and intrinsic design features. The technology competes with IMA ...
and
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
, on , 2020. Paramount initially stated on March 6 that it would not reschedule the film in response to the pandemic, but on March 12, the studio pulled the film from release worldwide with the intent of scheduling it later in the year. In April 2020, it announced the release date of , 2020. The September release date would have been the start of the US holiday
Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
. ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' wrote at the time that the weekend is "summer ox office'sfinale", and "typically the deadest period ever for moviegoing", but that the studio anticipated pent-up demand after pandemic fears subside.
In July 2020, Paramount changed the film's release date from , 2020 to , 2021. At the time of the announcement, movie theaters in the United States and Canada had been closed for nearly four months, and the pandemic was continuing to spread across the United States. The second postponement followed other studios' decisions at the time to indefinitely delay the Warner Bros. film ''
Tenet
A tenet is a synonym for axiom, one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based.
Tenet may also refer to:
Media
* Tenet (band), a heavy metal band
* TENET (ensemble), an American early music vocal and instrumental group
* ''Tenet'' (f ...
'' and the Disney film ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
''. '' Variety'' reported, "While those films had been long positioned to help revive moviegoing, sources say that Paramount did not want ''A Quiet Place Part 2'' to stay on Labor Day weekend and have the pressure of being the first new movie out of the gate during the pandemic."
In January 2021, Paramount postponed the film's release from , 2021 to , 2021. At the time of postponement, COVID-19 infections had surged in the United States in recent months. '' Variety'' wrote of the circumstances in the United States and Canada, "Around 65% of movie theaters remain closed, and cinemas that have stayed open have struggled to sell tickets." The postponement followed other studios' postponing of their films '' No Time to Die'', '' Ghostbusters: Afterlife'', '' Morbius'', '' Cinderella'', and ''
The King's Man
''The King's Man'' is a 2021 spy action film directed by Matthew Vaughn from a screenplay by Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek and a story by Vaughn. The third installment in the British ''Kingsman'' film series, which is based on the comic book ''The ...
In February 2021, Paramount announced that ''A Quiet Place Part II'' would become available on its streaming service Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical release. ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' reported that it was "a clear sign that Paramount is committed to theatrical, but still open to the future of streaming." Before the COVID-19 pandemic, movie theater operators sought for films to be theatrically released for 90 days before being released on home media. As a result of the pandemic, Warner Bros. opted to release their 2021 slate of films on
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
the same day as in theaters, and
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
made its films available via video-on-demand 17 days after their theatrical releases. '' Variety'' reported, "Paramount's strategy may be received the most favorably among film exhibitors", with ''A Quiet Place Part II'' among Paramount's tentpole films having the 45-day frame and its other titles having a 30-day frame. ''
Boxoffice Pro
''Boxoffice Pro'' is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by BoxOffice Media LP.
History
It started in 1920 as ''The Reel Journal'', taking the name ''Boxoffice'' in 1931 and still publishes today, with ...
'' reported that the original film grossed 94% of its total of $188 million in the United States and Canada by its 45th day, which indicated that Paramount's "decision works more in favor of exhibitors than against."
Move-up
On March 4, 2021, director John Krasinski announced that the release date would be moved to May 28, 2021, which is the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the United States. ''
Boxoffice Pro
''Boxoffice Pro'' is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by BoxOffice Media LP.
History
It started in 1920 as ''The Reel Journal'', taking the name ''Boxoffice'' in 1931 and still publishes today, with ...
'' wrote, "This marks the first time post-pandemic that a theatrically exclusive major studio tentpole has moved a planned release ''up'' by this many months rather than ''back''." The publication also wrote that the film would be "the first live-action tentpole exclusively in theaters" since ''
Tenet
A tenet is a synonym for axiom, one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based.
Tenet may also refer to:
Media
* Tenet (band), a heavy metal band
* TENET (ensemble), an American early music vocal and instrumental group
* ''Tenet'' (f ...
'' was released in August 2020.
Earlier in the day of Krasinski's announcement, Universal Pictures had postponed the action film '' F9'' from late May 2021 to June 25, 2021. In the move-up process, Paramount postponed another of its films, '' Infinite'', from the May 28 release date. ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' reported that Paramount was encouraged to release ''A Quiet Place Part II'' earlier due to theaters reopening in New York City starting the weekend of March 5, 2021 and with plans for theaters in Los Angeles to also reopen in the near future.
As a result of Paramount shortening the theatrical run from 90 days to 45, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and producers including Michael Bay whose compensation depends on box-office receipts, requested for the studio to compensate them for the shorter run.
Theatrical release
For its theatrical release on May 28, 2021, ''A Quiet Place Part II'' was released in in the United States and Canada.
The film was also released in 12 other markets on its opening weekend, including China as a last-minute addition.
Reception
Box office
''A Quiet Place Part II'' grossed $160.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $137.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $297.4 million.
Before ''A Quiet Place Part II'' was postponed from late March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Boxoffice Pro'' predicted the film would gross on its opening weekend, based on the first film's opening weekend () and the continued involvement of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski; but noted that the film would face competition from other titles such as ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
''. In February, early industry tracking had the film debuting to around $55–60 million. ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
''s Anthony D'Alessandro wrote, "''A Quiet Place Part II'' is currently strong with females under 25, African Americans and Hispanic demos, but overall I hear it's strong with all quads."
For its 2021 theatrical release, ''Boxoffice Pro'' forecast that the film would gross between $30 million and $50 million on its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, with a total gross between $75 million and $125 million. ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
'' wrote, "It has a core male audience that skews younger with minority moviegoers, along with strong interest and critical support", and predicted between $40 to $50 million. According to Fandango, US advance ticket sales were double the sales from the planned March 2020 release and also more than the sales for the first film in 2018. The film made $19.3 million on its first day, including $4.8 million from Thursday night previews, topping the $4.3 million preview figure of the first film; both grosses were the highest of the pandemic. It went on to debut to $48.3 million in its three-day opening weekend and a total of $58.5 million over the four day Memorial Day frame, topping the box office and marking the biggest opening weekend since ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' in February 2020. In its sophomore weekend the film grossed $19.5 million, finishing second, behind '' The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It''. The film crossed the $100 million domestic mark on June 11, becoming the first film of the pandemic era to do so. In its third weekend the film regained the top spot, upsetting newcomer '' In the Heights'' with $12 million.
Critical response
''A Quiet Place Part II'' received mostly positive reviews from film critics. ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' wrote that critics liked the film and praised its "two-pronged story" and the introduction of Cillian Murphy's character. Meanwhile, ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote that critics were divided. The film review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
assessed reviews and determined of them to be positive, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads, "A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, ''A Quiet Place Part II'' expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart." According to review aggregator
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film received "generally favorable reviews", with a weighted score of 71 out of 100 based on 57 critics. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, an improvement from the first film's B+ score. PostTrak reported 83% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend it.Peter Bradshaw of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the film 4 stars out of 5, stating, "This sequel from writer-director
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
may not quite have all its focus and intimate horror, while the borrowings from ''
Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'', ''
Jurassic Park
''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
'' and ''
Jaws
Jaws or Jaw may refer to:
Anatomy
* Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth
** Mandible, the lower jaw
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker''
* ...
'' are admittedly more obvious this time around. But it’s a really effective and engrossing followup, with an absolutely sensational "prelude" sequence at the top of the movie, a barnstorming shocker equal to anything in '' AQP1''." He also praised the performances of
Millicent Simmonds
Millicent Simmonds (born March 6, 2003) is a deaf American actress who starred in the 2018 horror film ''A Quiet Place'' and its 2020 sequel ''A Quiet Place Part II''. Her breakout role was in the 2017 drama film '' Wonderstruck''. For ''Wonders ...
and Cillian Murphy, stating that "Simmonds is an excellent performer: bold, confident and forthright, holding her own opposite the alpha-emoting presence of Murphy." Jeannette Catsoulis of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave the film a positive review, stating, "...while this new installment is, like its predecessor, wonderfully acted and intuitively directed (by
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
, who is solely responsible for the story this time around), it has also largely replaced the hushed horror of the original with full-on action. Faster, coarser and far noisier, ''Part II'' sacrifices emotional depth for thriller setups that do less to advance the plot than grow the younger characters", and, "Though in many respects an exemplary piece of filmmaking, ''Part II'' remains hobbled by a script that resolves two separate crises while leaving the movie itself in limbo." Justin Chang of '' NPR'' said that "''A Quiet Place Part II'' san unexpectedly resonant film for the present moment as this country slowly emerges from a crisis that—while surely less terrifying than an alien apocalypse—has revealed humanity at its best and its worst", and praised Krasinski's direction, saying, "Not being able to fall back on verbal exposition has forced Krasinski to become a ruthlessly efficient visual storyteller. It's often said that
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's movies are so sharply directed, you could turn the sound off and still follow the action—a truth that applies to these movies as well."
''
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is an American multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news site/website specializing in information services that covered various horror medias, including: film, television, video games, comics, and music. ...
'' rated the film 3.5/5 and called it "a satisfying, worthwhile sequel". ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave it a B− and remarked that it was "a part two in the classic, traditional sense, echoing without quite amplifying the pleasures of its predecessor." io9 declared that the film was "a quintessential great sequel." Nick Allen of
RogerEbert.com
''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...
gave the film three out of four stars, criticizing Krasinski for not taking risks but praising its "incredibly robust and kinetic" action scenes.
Accolades
The series was given the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for the portrayal of Regan Abbott by Millicent Simmonds, as an actor with a disability and at least five lines of dialogue. John Krasinski was given an Excellence in Directing prize by The Media Access Awards for a commitment to disability inclusion on the film.
Home media
The film was released digitally and on Movies Anywhere on July 13, 2021, while
4K Ultra HD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. These were first proposed by ...
,
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
, and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
on July 27, 2021. It was also released on Paramount+ on July 13, 2021.
Future
Spin-off
In November 2020, Paramount Pictures hired
Jeff Nichols
Jeff Nichols (born December 7, 1978) is an American film director and screenwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Nichols is most known for his films ''Take Shelter'' (20 ...
to write and direct a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
based on an original idea from John Krasinski, who will produce. However, Nichols exited the project by October 2021. In January 2022, Michael Sarnoski joined production to replace Nichols as the writer and director. On April 28, 2022, Paramount announced that the film will be titled ''A Quiet Place: Day One''.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
is scheduled to begin on January 2, 2023 in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 8, 2024. It was originally set for September 22, 2023.
Sequel
In May 2021, Blunt revealed that Krasinski had plans for a third film. Acknowledging that he had wanted to see how the second installment was received before moving forward on the next film, she stated it is intended to be a trilogy. In July 2021, Blunt confirmed that Krasinski is working on a third installment, separate from the spin-off film, with intentions to once again serve as director. In February 2022, ''A Quiet Place Part III'' was officially announced with a scheduled release date in 2025.
Video game
In October 2021, it was announced that a
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
set within the same continuity as the film series is in development. The game will reportedly include an untold original story. The developers stated: "The ''A Quiet Place'' video game will let fans experience the tension of the films with a level of immersion they’ve never felt before." The project which will be published by
Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded in 2001 with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Saber was acquired by Embracer Group in February 2020, making the studio a direct subsidiary. The company ...
, is being created in collaboration by iLLOGIKA, EP1T0ME Studios Inc., and Paramount Pictures.
Notes
See also
*
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial effect on certain films in the early 2020s, mirroring its impacts across all arts sectors. Across the world and to varying degrees, cinemas and movie theaters have been closed, festivals have been ca ...