A Quiet Place: Part II, directed by and starring John Krasinski, as well as Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, and Djimon Hounsou, was released in theaters May 28, and after a highly anticipated release, we could not be more excited.
The film was originally set to be released in March 2020, but due to COVID-19, was rescheduled for this year.
The film follows the Abbott family, after Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) sacrificed himself to save his family, on their journey to get rid of the creatures that hunt by sound, once and for all.
Djimon Hounsou, known for his roles in Blood Diamond and Guardians of the Galaxy, chatted with The Knockturnal for a Q+A to discuss his role in the film as “Man on Island,” what it was like working with John Krasinski on set, and how he got involved in the project.
Check out our full conversation with Djimon below and be sure to watch A Quiet Place II in theaters now.
The Knockturnal: A Quiet Place Part II is finally coming out!
Djimon Hounsou: Finally and thankfully. Of course, for a film like this, you need to have the experience before a big screen because you will miss out on some of the main characters, like the lack of sound, which is actually a character in the story, and the visuals, so it’s better to have a cinematic experience.
The Knockturnal: This film has been anticipated for over a year. What has it been like waiting for it to come out?
Djimon Hounsou: It’s been interesting and hopefully, this will go the way we’ve been hoping and wishing for it to happen as far as the success of this film. And, again, this is the genre that is gauged to an audience and cinematic experience. You can only see in theaters to really appreciate and enjoy it. Because in any other setting, you will miss out the two main characters, which are the sound and visual, but interestingly, this sort of paralleled what we experienced in 2020.
The Knockturnal: So your role is “Man on Island” in the film. Can you please tell our readers a little bit about your role and who you play?
Djimon Hounsou: Well, I can just say to you that we can forget about the “man on the island” part. Forget about the equation of the island. You know, he’s just a man who desperately needed to save his family and himself. He’s trying to cope with the new environment, the new setting, the lack of community with people. I think the threat is not even so much the creature, I think the sound is actually the creature and the fear of having to not make any sound.
The Knockturnal: I definitely agree. I don’t think this is one that you can just watch at your house. I think you need the silence of the theater the intensity of everyone around you. Was the premiere your last outing of 2020?
Djimon Hounsou: You got it. That was truly the last outing because we had gone to New York to do the press junket for a weekend and then shortly after that, I think the following weekend we were supposed to travel to London for the international press and for the premiere there, and the film was only a week away from hitting the theaters when drama happened and then there was a world pandemic.
The Knockturnal: What was your creative process and how did you get into character for this film?
Djimon Hounsou: I would say, the creative process mostly came from John Krasinski himself. I think it started from the phone call that I received from him asking to come on board, and to join his family-his immediate family and the new family from the first film. The process is very organic with somebody who is an actor and now also a director.
The Knockturnal: What was it like working with John as a director, considering he has been in your shoes and knows what you’re going through as an actor?
Djimon Hounsou: I think it’s a tremendous relief and immediate connectivity, given the fact that you’re from the same sort of world. Sometimes you may have difficulties collaborating with a director, but John is a director, who is also mostly an actor so in this sense, it’s an immediate sort of connection, and in some ways surrender, because you can trust the director.
The Knockturnal: What was set like? Was it as intense as one would think with a film like The Quiet Place? Or was it fun, since we all know John Krasinski as a comedian?
Djimon Hounsou: John seems very much like a comedian and light-hearted. It’s nice to be directed by somebody who’s very deep, and I didn’t realize how deep he was until he started to give directions. I think you can see the organic place where he comes from while giving direction and certainly telling stories.
The Knockturnal: You kind of touched upon this a little bit, but how did you get involved in this project? You said John called you- was it an immediate “yes?” What were you doing when he called?
Djimon Hounsou: I mean you get a phone call from John Krasinski himself, telling you about a story that he did once that had sensational success with and then he’s trying to tell you to come on board, I mean, there’s very little to think about or to process at that moment. It was sold for me. The offer was made and I immediately accepted it.
