Summary
A Quiet Place: Day Onedirector Michael Sarnoski and star Lupita Nyong’o explain itsLord of the RingsEaster eggs. A prequel to the two priorQuiet Placemovies, the apocalyptic horror film follows a woman in New York City during the early stages of an alien invasion by creatures who possess ultrasonic hearing. Nyong’o leads theQuiet Place: Day Onecastas Sam alongside Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, the last of whom reprises his role fromA Quiet Place Part II.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Sarnoski and Nyong’o explainedtheLord of the RingsEaster eggs present inA Quiet Place: Day One, starting with how the main character is named Sam and her cat Frodo. Beyond the character names, there are numerous parallels between the two stories, which the director explains. Read their full comments below:
Sarnoski: WatchingLord of the Ringsgrowing up, watching all the behind the scenes was a big part of falling in love with movie making and the potential for both beautifully meaningful, emotional storytelling and huge scope and excitement. So, yeah, definitely there was a lot to that.
Nyong’o: Our director is enough of a nerd. He chose that name, and I thought it was really quite apt because [the cat] is that companion. Our relationship has a very steep arc.
Sarnoski: Sam and Frodo carry a lot of weight, and I think there is a real odyssey element to this, even though we’re contained within this city of New York. How people support each other through that journey is an important part of it… I think you could make an argument for that. It’s a little calmer and quieter than what Mordor would be. They definitely have a goal through this movie that means a lot to them, and that is important. They would die to get there.
A Quiet Place: Day One’s LOTR Easter Eggs Explained
The Parallels Extend Beyond The Character Names
Despite being set solely in New York City,Day Oneunfolds like an odyssey and how the characters support one another through these challenges is a crucial theme.
Taking place before the events of the first twoQuiet Placemovies,Day Onecenters on Sam, a woman visiting New York City with her cat, named Frodo, when the creatures with ultrasonic hearing first invade Earth. Attempting to survive and flee the city, she joins forces with a total stranger, Eric (Quinn). The love that Sarnoski, who previously wrote and directedPig, has forLord of the Ringsis quite evident inDay One, extending beyond the fact thattwo of the main characters are named Sam and Frodo.
Does A Quiet Place: Day One Have A Post-Credits Scene?
A Quiet Place: Day One takes the franchise back to the beginning, but does the prequel have a post-credits scene setting up what is still to come?
Lord of the Ringsplayed a significant role in developing Sarnoski’s love for filmmaking and demonstrating the potential for stories that are both emotionally meaningful and grand in scope. Apart from the character names, Sarnoski infusedA Quiet Place:Day One’s story(which he conceived with the franchise’s original director John Krasinski) with the adventurous spirit ofLord of the Rings.In both stories, Sam and Frodo carry significant symbolic weight. Despite being set solely in New York City,Day Oneunfolds like an odyssey and how the characters support one another through these challenges is a crucial theme.
The apocalyptic version of New York City depicted inDay Onealso shares some similarities with Mordor. Sarnoski sees an argument for this comparison, even thoughDay One’s New York City is calmer and quieter, considering the franchise’s creatures hunt by sound. Similar to theirLord of the Ringscounterparts,A Quiet Place: Day One’s Sam and Frodo have a goal that is incredibly important to them, one they are willing to sacrifice their lives to achieve.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Cast
A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off of the A Quiet Place franchise conceived by John Krasinski. The film is set at the beginning of the invasion as humanity scrambles to survive, before the events of the original film, with Lupita Nyong’O leading the cast, directed by Michael Sarnoski.
