MANILA, PHILIPPINES — While developing the next installment for the captivating world of A Quiet Place, producer and writer John Krasinski found himself wanting to see how the rest of the world is dealing with this otherworldly crisis. “I especially wondered how people in a big city like New York, with all the chaos and noise there, all the millions of people, would respond,” he said.
This idea formed into A Quiet Place: Day One, where an ordinary day in New York City turns horrific as creatures rain down on Earth and start slaughtering humans indiscriminately. “I wanted to take a place we all know and put it in extraordinary circumstances,” John explained. “New York City, whether you’ve been there or not, whether you like it or not, is instantly familiar. And in a world where murderous creatures can appear at any time, from any place they detect a noise, New York is not the best place to be.”
Michael Sarnoski, the director-writer, wanted to center all the chaos of a big city crumbling from an invasion around one point and character, based on the unique execution of the original A Quiet Place. “John took the concept and brought it to new heights, it was so elevated and character-driven,” he said. “The first two movies are about one family, so I expanded the world, but that was just incidental. The heart of it is making sure that the characters’ stories are front and center.”
Given the parameters of being set in New York City, Michael began to build an idea for A Quiet Place: Day One and sell it to John. “I gave John a one-minute pitch about a woman who comes to New York on a quest for her favorite pizza just as the world is ending. John’s response was, ‘Yeah! Let’s do it,’” Michael said.
With this, the character Samira was born. For this crucial role, Michael already had an actor in mind. “Lupita [Nyong’o] was at the top of Michael’s list,” said John. “She’s a very powerful actress. The role was both physically and mentally challenging — she was effectively terrorized daily — and she handled it brilliantly and elegantly, bringing a combination of bravery and vulnerability to her character.”
Lupita was ready to be part of this silent world and delighted in her role as Samira. “It was such a meal to play Samira,” she shared. “When the creatures land, she blacks out. When she awakes, it’s an entirely new world where no one will allow her to speak, and she has no idea what happened. How many popular films ask an audience to sit and witness silence? It ends up speaking volumes.”
To accompany Samira on her journey, she meets Eric, played by Joseph Quinn, and the strangers bond through trauma and survival. “Joe’s wildly talented,” said John. “In Day One, he walks the razor’s edge of fight or flight on what is the worst day of his character’s life. He and Samira are trying to survive under harrowing circumstances that force them together. That relationship makes them the heartbeat of the movie.”
Watch them try to survive a brand new, horrifying new world as A Quiet Place: Day One arrives in Philippine cinemas on June 26.
About A Quiet Place: Day One
Executive Producer: Allyson Seeger, Vicki Dee Rock
Produced by: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, p.g.a., Brad Fuller, John Krasinski
Story by: John Krasinski and Michael Sarnoski
Written and directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou
