‘A Quiet Place Part II’: John Krasinski’s ‘Small Idea’ Cracked the Story
You’ve heard of the Oscars, but have you heard of the Isaacs? The Isaac Awards, in honor of the great Oscar Isaac, are Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s unique spin on the Academy Awards. However, the Isaac Awards are different from the Oscars in that they celebrate the best movies of 2021 that deserve recognition but will not receive that recognition through Oscar nods. The 2022 Isaac Awards feature five categories: Best Performance, Best Scene-Stealer, Best Crowd-Pleasing Moment, Best Action Sequence, and Fan-Favorite Movie. Voting will be open via this form from March 7-20. Winners will be announced on March 24.
Making a hit movie is tough enough. But delivering a satisfying sequel is even more challenging. And by all accounts, writer-director John Krasinski pulled that off with A Quiet Place Part II. The movie nearly matched the first film with critics and at the box office. Naturally, A Quiet Place Part III is already in the works. But given its nomination for Fan-Favorite Movies at Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s 2022 Isaac Awards, let’s look back at the idea that helped Krasinski evolve the 2018 original film into a full-blown franchise.
‘A Quiet Place’ wasn’t intended to start a franchise
Prior to A Quiet Place, Krasinski had only directed a single film, the 2016 comedy-drama The Hollars. So he didn’t exactly plan to launch headfirst into a series of movies with his follow-up. However, A Quiet Place — which cost only $17 million to produce — became a breakout hit in April 2018. The film earned more than $340 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film was one of the only original film — that is, not a sequel, remake, or part of a cinematic universe — to become such a huge hit. So it probably didn’t take long for Paramount to ask Krasinski and his wife and co-star Emily Blunt about a sequel. At first, both actors were hesitant to make A Quiet Place Part II. But Krasinski ultimately figured out a way to build upon the first film.
John Krasinski had an idea to make a sequel work
A Quiet Place might have been originally intended as a one-off, standalone sci-fi horror film. But the world the film creates does lend itself to elaboration, as Krasinki eventually realized. The breakthrough moment, as he told Variety, came when he discovered that neither his character nor Blunt’s was the hero of the story.
“I had this small idea, which was to make [Millicent Simmonds] the lead of the movie. Not only did I think she would give an amazing performance — which I knew she could do — her character opens the door to all the themes I was dealing with in the first movie.”
Krasinski has said time and again about how A Quiet Place is a metaphor for parenting. To that end, turning the focus on Regan (Simmonds) up extends that approach. After all, A Quiet Place Part II essentially ends with Regan and her brother Marcus (Noah Jupe) stepping up to save the day. They’re growing up to face the threat themselves.
‘A Quiet Place Part II’ isn’t the end of the story yet
Now that Regan and Marcus are coming into their own, it stands to reason Simmonds and Jupe will take the forefront even moreso in A Quiet Place Part III. The second film delivered a satisfying sequel by expanding on the themes and characters of the first film, rather than over-complicating it with lots of new stories and characters.
Details on the third film are scarce. But it’s safe to assume all the major characters who survived A Quiet Place Part II will be back. The series is currently being eyed as a trilogy, though a spin-off is in the works too. While fans wait to see what happens next, they can vote for A Quiet Place Part II as the 2022 Isaac Awards’ Fan-Favorite Movie.
Vote for the 2022 Isaac Awards here now through Sunday, March 20. Winners will be announced on March 24.
