Director Jeff Nichols Ditches ‘A Quiet Place’ Spinoff For Paramount Sci-Fi

The “A Quiet Place” spinoff that is in the works at Paramount will have to look for a new director after Jeff Nichols decided to drop the project for a sci-fi movie under the same studio.

The 42-year-old film director and screenwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas, parted ways amicably with the horror franchise’s upcoming installment, which is still untitled, sources exclusively told Deadline Wednesday.

Nichols is said to have shifted his focus on another project at Paramount — a science-fiction offering that the studio is high on as well. The project is also untitled, and its plot details are still unknown.

As for the “A Quiet Place” installment, a number of potential replacements are being screened by the production company to fill the void that Nichols left. There is word that Paramount is moving quickly to find a new helmer following the success of “A Quiet Place Part II,” according to Collider.

The third installment in the franchise is said to be a spinoff instead of a threequel since it will be the first film in the series that will not be directed by John Krasinski, who created, directed and starred in the first two films.

The spinoff will still be based on an idea of Krasinski’s, but not much is known about its plot at the moment. It’s also uncertain if Paramount will keep the script that was written by Nichols for the project, or if a new writer will be tapped in the wake of his departure from the franchise.

Fans of the first two films will likely be introduced to new characters in the spinoff. And while not out of the question, Krasinski and Emily Blunt are unlikely to reprise their roles for the installment, as pointed out by Deadline.

The second movie in the franchise, which debuted in May, was a big success as it managed to rake in $57 million during its domestic opening weekend. It also earned $300 million worldwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In related news, the original movie franchise is getting a single-player horror video game adaptation that is due out next year. It will be developed by EP1T0ME, Saber Interactive and Illogika, SlashGear reported.