After an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Editing and grossing $340.9 million worldwide, 2018’s “A Quiet Place” will be back with a sequel March 20.
John Krasinski, known for his roles as Jim Halpert in the long-running sitcom “The Office” and the title character in Amazon Prime’s “Jack Ryan,” took on the roles of actor, director, producer and screenwriter for both films. “A Quiet Place” was his first horror film, which allowed him to take a step out of his comfort zone and into a new world where he could use horror to tell a story.
“I realized that the storytelling medium might be the best to tell stories,” Krasinski said. “You're able to bend reality in a way that allows people to examine the world in a way that's not too in their face.”
The series centers around the Abbott family who lives in a post-apocalyptic society where silence is imperative for survival. Blind creatures attack anything that makes noise, and one single sound could set off a deadly reaction. The family inhabits a cabin in the woods, where they develop a system of communication through sign and body language. The films explore the challenges of parenthood. The theme of a parent’s desire to protect their child is explored in the first film and elaborated on in the second film.
Krasinski said he made the decision to begin the second film almost immediately where the first left off, with the Abbott family preparing to fight back against the creatures while reeling from the death of its paternal figure, Krasinski’s character Lee.
Emily Blunt, Krasinski’s real life and on-screen wife stars as Evelyn Abbott in both films. Both actors were apprehensive about sharing space on set and collaborating as creative minds, Krasinski said. However, the duo’s transition from being husband and wife in real life to having to characterize themselves as parents on screen was pretty seamless, Krasinski said.
“We're luckily on the same page at home, so I hoped we'd be on the same page of fake parenting as much as we are in real parenting,” Krasinski said.
Krasinski was initially against the prospect of a sequel to the first film.
“I know as an audience member I am very weary of sequels,” Krasinski said. “I think that they are usually seen as some sort of cash grab by the studio or something where the quality won't be as high, and I wanted no part of that.”
With further discussion, the idea of an expanding on the bonds between parent and child blossomed in Krasinski’s head.
“The first movie is about that promise that you make to your kids as a parent,” Krasinski said. “That is, as long as you stay close to me, I can protect you forever. Every parent knows that that's a false promise and one day that promise will be broken.”
As the Abbott family is forced to journey into the unknown, the bonds of family are tested as the children are forced to fight for their lives while the family strives to protect each other from the environment of chaos around them.
“I think that when that promise is broken, I believe that's what growing up is," Krasinski said.
Krasinski said his ultimate goal was to make a sequel dedicated to the fans of the film.
“I actually ended up thinking if I do this, I need it to be a thank you note to the audience that came to the first one," Krasinski said.
