CILLIAN MURPHY fans have been given a first proper glimpse of what to expect from the Irishman in the hotly-anticipated horror sequel A Quiet Place: Part II.
The film picks up where the first left off with the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) on the run and attempting to evade the clutches of a race of blind, carnivorous aliens who hunt humans using sound.
Forced into an unknown world where even the smallest noise could prove fatal, the family soon encounter a mysterious stranger by the name of Emmett (Murphy).
While their alien foes remain a constant menace, the film’s vague synopsis hinted at another threat beyond the creatures that stalk them by sound.
When the first trailer for the sequel to the John Krasinski-directed hit emerged earlier this year, fans were quick to swoon over Murphy’s striking beard.
But beneath the hairy exterior, there were some suspicions that the Irishman could be set for a villainous role in the new film.
Now a featurette released to promote the film has shed more light on Murphy’s role and Emmett’s own backstory.
Krasinski, who wrote as well as directed the sequel, explained the unique role Murphy occupies in the film as a reluctant, mentally-scarred hero.
“The beauty of Cillian’s character is there’s so much loss in his life, he doesn’t feel the need to be a part of any community,” Krasinski explains.
“He’s actually a representation of the rest of the world, there’s a darkness to him and a fear to him that makes him unpredictable.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by his co-star, Blunt, who describes Emmett as “shutdown, unwilling to help, frightened, fearful, done”.
Whatever the truth might be, Murphy appears to have relished the chance to join one of the tensest horror franchises ever imagined.
“We’re trying to create something where the audience goes ‘Oh my God what would I do, if I was in that situation’,” he explains.
“I was just blown away by it.”
A Quiet Place: Part II hits cinemas on March 20.
