John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place 2 has been delayed again. The post-apocalyptic thriller has been delayed three times since it was originally announced. The highly anticipated sequel was all set to open in theaters last March, but Paramount pulled the plug at the last minute, due to the public health crisis, which was in its beginning stages. It was later moved to April 23rd, 2021, but that is no longer happening as of this week. The studio now has A Quiet Place 2 set to open in theaters on September 17th.
With cases on the rise across North America, major studios are pulling their biggest movies and delaying them. We’re now seeing most of 2020’s most anticipated movies get kicked down further into 2021 as studios aren’t confident about releasing movies theatrically at the moment. Warner Bros. is trying to adapt with their hybrid release model, which finds movies opening in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously. While the announcement caused a backlash when it was announced, it could prove to be successful as more and more studios pull their big movies from theaters.
In terms of streaming, Paramount has been experimenting with the model too. Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, Eddie Murphy’s Coming 2 America, and Without Remorse, all went to Netflix and Amazon. However, the studio has faith in A Quiet Place 2 and its ability to pull viewers into theaters for an experience. The first installment was a surprise hit for Paramount after it made well over $300 million globally from an initial $17 million budget. John Krasinski was hesitant about a sequel at first, but was later persuaded by the studio and his wife, Emily Blunt, who also stars in A Quiet Place 2 and the first movie.
A Quiet Place shocked viewers with its clever story and intense sound design, which boasted silence as its biggest factor. People were blasted on social media for eating popcorn during the movie because of how quiet the environment was. So, Paramount wants to recreate that kind of buzz for A Quiet Place 2, which will all depend on movie theaters being able to open their doors in a safe manner.
Disney just announced that they are pushing back many of their Q1 movies, including The King’s Man and the Bob’s Burgers movie. Many are under the assumption that it is only a matter of time before they delay their Marvel Studios projects, while other big studios follow suit. As for when movie theaters will be able to safely open their doors again, that is unclear at the moment. However, when they do, there will be an avalanche of new movies to see. Variety was one of the first outlets to report on A Quiet Place 2 moving to September.