It’s official: 2020 just got that more crowded. Paramount Pictures has put flags down for two key films that year. The first is the sequel to John Krasinski’s immensely successful surprise horror drama hit “A Quiet Place.” The tentatively titled “A Quiet Place 2” has been dated for May 15, 2020, a much bolder, summer release, compared to the March release of this year. But “A Quiet Place” grossed $332 million worldwide off a super modest $17 million budget, so clearly the studio has high hopes here and confidence given an untitled Marvel movie (thought to be “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3,” but that may change now) opens the weekend before.
“A Quiet Place” centered on a near future post-apocalyptic future where aurally-sensitive alien creatures have wiped out most of America (and presumably the world). In the midst of this cataclysmic backdrop, a family of five tries to survive on a sustainable farm while creating as little noise as possible so as not to attract the sound-adept monsters.
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Directed by and starring Krasinski himself, it’s a huge achievement for someone who’s never directed suspenseful horror before and to be honest, he showed up a lot of directors from this genre.
The question of whether he’ll come back to direct seems up in the air and mostly unlikely. I’d imagine he had his fill, will exec produce and hand off the reigns to another, younger filmmaker looking for a shot. It also seems doubtful if the original cast will return given the ending we won’t spoil here, and from what has been hinted at already. “A Quiet Place” feels like a perfect franchise for throwing new groups of people into scenarios to see how they survive. Hell, you could franchise it in other countries with total international casts for those markets (I’d pay to see a South Korean version with one of the many awesome, gonzo auteurs at the helm).
Paramount’s second big move is shuffling “Top Gun: Maverick” to a different airstrip. Once expected next year, the studio has pushed back the “Top Gun” sequel to summer 2020. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who directed the star in “Oblivion,” “Top Gun 2,” once again stars Cruise and Val Kilmer, his rival in the original. The new film sees Cruise’s Maverick character as a flight instructor for a new group of young, cocky pilots not unlike he was in his youth.
The movie also stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris.
Paramount had originally dated the movie for a July 12, 2019 release date, but has moved it a year back to June 26, 2020. ‘Maverick’ will face off against Warner Bros.’ “In The Heights” from director Jon Chu and an Untitled Marvel film from 20th Century Fox which at this point, may disappear from the calendar soon since given Disney will own them in 2019 and likely won’t want to overcrowd their own market with their own competing superhero movies.