A Quiet Place Part 2

https://youtu.be/BpdDN9d9Jio

This time, we’re taking a look at the highly anticipated sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, and along the way we ask, did Emmett and Regan rip off The Last of Us, how did Marcus become so selfish and what is next for the Abbott family? Let’s dive in…

Please be advised that these notes will contain spoilers for A Quiet Place Part II. If you wish for your experience to be spoiler free, please pause here, check out the film and return!

Cast & Crew

* Written, produced and directed by John Krasinski: The actor/director returns to direct the sequel of his 2018 directorial debut and also reprises his character of Lee during the film’s prologue

* Starring Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott

* Millicent Simmonds as Regan Abbott

* Noah Jupe as Marcus Abbott

* In addition, several actors were cast to fill new roles in the series:

* Cillian Murphy as Emmett: Murphy has become quite a frequent contributor to the Force Fed Sci-Fi podcast after appearing in our first episode Inception as well as Sunshine. Hosts Sean and Chris agreed that Murphy’s portrayal was among the best in the film and cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s most reliable actors.

* Djimon Hounsou as the Man on the Island: While his character doesn’t officially have a name, his scenes with Murphy are rather poignant as he’s able to provide some context as to the early days of the invasion and the trauma he’s experienced.

* Also Appearing:

* Scoot McNairy as Marina Man

* Okieriete Onaodowan as Ronnie

* Marco Beltrami also returns to compose the score as well as the new additions to the crew:

* Cinematography by Polly Morgan who had previously worked on the film Lucy as well as the television series Legion

* Editing by Michael P. Shawver who had worked on Creed, Black Panther and Fruitvale Station

The Journey to Make A Quiet Place Part II

Following the unexpected success of the first film in the series, Paramount immediately greenlit a sequel while Krasinski originally viewed the film as a one off without the need for a sequel. The original writers, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, did not return to the sequel and sought to do other projects. Krasinski himself was hesitant to return but was offered both to write and direct the sequel after the studio enjoyed his pitch.

While the budget for the first film was a meager $20 million, a sizeable commitment was made to the sequel as the budget was increased to $61 million which allowed for the production to expand beyond the scope of the farm and woods setting in the original film. A giant soundstage was constructed for the film as well as on location shooting in western New York State.

What is the Theme?

As Sean and Chris remarked in their episode on A Quiet Place, they were amazed with how quickly the film’s theme became politicized across both aisles of the political spectrum and that doesn’t seem to be the case with its sequel. Building upon the themes of family from the first film, A Quiet Place Part II seems to focus on the idea of loss this time around. Every character in the film has lost something profound and Emmett in particular personifies this theme.

After first meeting his character after he has seemingly agreed to shelter the Abbott family, we find out that his wife and young sons have died. Whether they died due to illness or were killed by the creatures is left to speculation but this has caused him to retreat within himself and initially wants to avoid searching for Regan when she goes missing until Evelyn appeals to his fatherly duties in finding her.

While loss is prevalent throughout the film and this section could be filled with a breakdown with...