“A Quiet Place: Day One” hits theaters tomorrow, the third entry in Jon Krasinski‘s alien invasion franchise and the first one he doesn’t direct. But Krasinki tapped Michael Sarnoski, who takes his place behind the camera for this one, to succeed him for one major reason: he loved Sarnoski’s debut film “Pig.”
And Krasinski isn’t the only “Pig” fan out there. The downbeat drama, starring Nic Cage as a reclusive ex-chef who comes out of hiding in the Oregon wilderness to track down his beloved pet pig from some thugs, was a critical darling in 2021, and swiftly established Sarnoski as a young talent to watch. So is it any surprise that Krasinski want him on board “Day One”?
Sarnoski details how he joined the sci-fi film in a new interview with Total Film. “John Krasinski saw “Pig.” I guess he liked it, because he reached out and said, ‘Hey, do you want to bring a little bit of that “Pig” touch to “A Quiet Place”?’ said the director. “He told me that they wanted to do a New York day one movie and gave me some time to think about what my “in” to that would be.” Krasinski gave Sarnoski almost complete creative control on “Day One,” too; Sarnoski writes and direct the prequel, with the pair collaborating on the film’s story. Krasinski wrote 2020’s “Part II” solo, but wrote the 2018 original with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
But Sarnoski primarily holds the reins on “Day One,” and the film’s main character, Lupita Nyong’o‘s Sam, is his creation. “I kind of settled on the character of Sam, presented that idea and story to John and then to Paramount, and they gave me permission to make the movie, which was pretty cool,” Sarnoski continued. “It was a smoother process than I [thought it would be]. I think he just liked “Pig” and wanted me to do this.” “Day One” follows Sam and her pet cat Frodo on a day trip through NYC that devolves into chaos when ultrasonic monsters invade Earth. While fleeing for safety, Sam teams up with Joseph Quinn‘s Eric, forming an unlikely bond to save each other’s skin. “Day One” also stars “Pig” actor Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Elaine Umuhire.
So what should “A Quiet Place” fans expect from “Day One”: a tense sci-fi actioner similar to Krasinksi’s first two movies or something more like “Pig”? Sarnoski hints it’ll be something in the middle. “I think [Krasinski’s] big thing was he kind of wanted to allow another filmmaker into this sandbox and give them the freedom to just do what they wanted to do,” said the director. “So mostly, he was just very supportive [like], ‘Have at it, make this a Michael Sarnoski movie and explore and don’t feel limited,’ which was kind of everything I could have hoped for.” Krasinski will return to direct the third and likely final “A Quiet Place” installment, due in theaters next year. He directed “IF” earlier this year.
But if “A Quiet Place: Day One” does well at the box office, expect Sarnoski’s Hollywood street cred to rise even higher? Up next for the director? “The Death Of Robin Hood” with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, which hit the Cannes market in May. No word yet on when Sarnoski plans to shoot the film, but he writes and directs it, as he did with “Pig” and “Day One.”
“A Quiet Place: Day One” hits theaters tomorrow. Watch a trailer for the prequel below (and read The Playlist’s review of it here).