John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place was an unexpected phenomenon. But as soon as the glowing reviews and then box office success arrived for the 2018 horror movie, there was interest in a sequel from both fans and the studio, Paramount Pictures. The question was, how do you continue such a perfectly small-scale story?
Two years later, we’re about to see the answer with A Quiet Place Part II. Does the follow-up expand in scope? Are there more survivors beyond the setting of the first movie? Will we find out the origins of the audio-sensitive creatures? Most importantly, will this one be as terrifying as the original?
We don’t have answers to all those questions, but we can set you up right before heading to the theater to see the Quiet Place sequel. Here’s everything you need to know before you go:
What happened in A Quiet Place?
For those who’ve forgotten or might be seeing the sequel without seeing the first movie, A Quiet Place follows the Abbott family after most of the world — including one of their own children — has been wiped out by large creatures with hypersensitive hearing that attack anything that makes noise.
The Abbotts, including a very pregnant mother, wind up taking refuge on a farm until one of the creatures becomes aware of their presence. Then the mom, Evelyn, has the baby, who is obviously difficult to keep silent. During various intense incidents and close calls, the father, Lee, sacrifices himself to save his kids.
Then they discover a way to defeat the creatures using deaf daughter Regan’s hearing aid. The frequency of the earpiece harms the creature, which becomes still and vulnerable enough for Evelyn to kill it with a shotgun. But the noise from its blast draws more creatures toward their hideaway…
Then what happened?
That’s where A Quiet Place ends. We can only assume that Evelyn manages to kill more of the creatures using Regan’s cochlear implant and the shotgun. Until the arrival of the sequel, though, we couldn’t be sure the remaining Abbotts all survived. Going by the trailers, we know they at least get away.
What is the plot of A Quiet Place Part II?
Little is known about the sequel’s story outside of what’s revealed in a brief synopsis. Immediately following the first movie’s ending, the Abbotts are now on the move again, trying to find a new home as well as other survivors. But more people around brings additional problems to worry about besides the deadly creatures.
Who is back for the sequel?
Emily Blunt, who plays the mother, Evelyn, reprises her role from the first movie, as do young actors Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds (who is also deaf in real life), again playing the son and daughter, Marcus and Regan. Unexpectedly, John Krasinski also returns as the father, Lee Abbott.
Didn’t he die in the first movie?
Lee is killed by the creatures during the events of the first movie, but Krasinski is able to reprise the role for new flashback sequences in the sequel set during the start of the creatures’ attacks. The trailer also shows the other, ill-fated Abbott son, Beau (presumably Cade Woodward again), in flashbacks.
So we get to see the origin of the creatures?
While the flashback sequences do promise a depiction of the start of the attacks, we can’t be too sure that we’ll learn of the creatures origins. Maybe there will be more hints about them being aliens, but if the tone of the sequel is similar to the original, we won’t see anything outside of the Abbotts’ limited perspective.
Who is new to the cast?
Cillian Murphy and two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou join the Abbott clan for the sequel in somewhat mysterious roles. Murphy plays a man named Emmett, who is also a father trying to protect his family but maybe not necessarily other human survivors. Hounsou appears to be one of the few he trusts.
Who wrote the screenplay for the sequel?
John Krasinski, who had contributed to the script for the first movie, which was originally written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, went solo for the screenplay for A Quiet Place Part II.
Did Krasinski also return as director?
Yes, John Krasinski, director of the first movie, is back at the helm for A Quiet Place Part II, collaborating again with his wife, Emily Blunt, who now takes the sole, dominant lead role.
When does the sequel come out?
Paramount Pictures will release A Quiet Place Part II in theaters on March 20, 2020.
Watch the trailer below.
