Why Paramount Moving 'A Quiet Place Part II' To Memorial Day Weekend Is A Big Deal

Paramount, a ViacomCBS VIAC subsidiary, has moved up the theatrical release date for “A Quiet Place Part II” from Sept. 17 to May 28 — the start of Memorial Day weekend and the traditional launch of the summer movie season.

What Happened: The 2018 horror film “A Quiet Place,” directed by and starring John Krasinski, was produced on a $17-million budget and grossed $341 million at the box office.

The film’s sequel was initially planned for release Sept. 4, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of movie theaters forced its premiere to be rescheduled to April 23.

In January, Paramount delayed the opening again to Sept. 17.

Krasinki used his Twitter TWTR channel to announce the new opening, tweeting: "They say good things come to those who wait. Well... I think we’ve waited long enough. A QUIET PLACE PART II Memorial Day."

Why It Matters: Although more than half of U.S. cinemas are still closed, a confluence of events is playing in the favor of “A Quiet Place Part II.”

For starters, last weekend’s surprise box office strength of the animated “Tom & Jerry” by AT&T T subsidiary Warner Bros. offered evidence that audiences are becoming more comfortable in returning to theaters after nearly a year of being denied access to big-screen venues.

Furthermore, the Memorial Day weekend was expected to be dominated by “F9,” the latest installment of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise from Comcast CMCSA subsidiary Universal. That film was rescheduled to open June 25.

Outside of Hollywood, President Joe Biden pledged to have every American adult vaccinated by the end of May. If this pans out, it would bode well for Memorial Day release plans for “A Quiet Place II.”

Paramount is also backing up the theatrical release of “A Quiet Place II” with a streaming premiere on the Paramount+ service 45 days after its cinematic opening.

Emily Blunt in a scene from “A Quiet Place Part II.” Photo courtesy Paramount.