Cillian Murphy is returning to A Quiet Place Part III, with Jack O’Connell revealing that the pair will play brothers in the upcoming sequel. It is a juicy bit of casting news for a franchise whose monsters are only half the problem; the other half reserved for figuring out whom to trust when making a sound can get you crossing into the afterlife.

Murphy’s return also brings a familiar face back into the apocalyptic world. And with O’Connell joining the Abbott universe, the sequel has found another way to make the family drama considerably messier.

After crossing paths in the 28 Years Later universe, Cillian Murphy and Jack O’Connell are teaming up again for another horror franchise, this time with a far more personal connection. Co-starring in A Quiet Place Part III brings Murphy back as Emmett, the wary survivor introduced in the second film, while O’Connell joins him as his brother.

Speaking to Collider at the Newport Beach Film Festival, O’Connell opened up about their dynamic on set, describing a production that felt less like a group of strangers entering a familiar franchise and more like a family coming together.

 “A Quiet Place felt like family. It’s about family, obviously. Got John Krasinski and Emily Blunt involved, and Cillian and I play brothers,” he said, slipping in the bit of information fans have been spending years trying to confirm. 

While it is categorically a reunion, Murphy and O'Connell's paths have crossed quite briefly. Murphy originated Jim in Danny Boyle’s 2002 zombie horror film, while O’Connell played the fanatical Jimmy Crystal in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Murphy’s appearance in the newer film comes at the end, setting up Jim’s return without making the two actors a conventional screen duo.

Now, A Quiet Place Part III, after O'Connell's reveal to Collider, gives them a much more direct relationship to explore, with O’Connell’s character tied to Murphy’s survivor by DNA.

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The reveal is especially intriguing because Emmett’s story in the second film seemed to leave little room for family reunions.

Cillian Murphy, who has been knee-deep in filming for the upcoming Damien Chazelle movie, first joined the franchise in A Quiet Place Part II as Emmett, a hardened survivor who has withdrawn from the world after losing his wife and children during the alien invasion. He initially resists helping Evelyn Abbott and her children, but eventually joins Regan in his dangerous attempt to fight back against the creatures. 

John Krasinski returns to write and direct the third instalment, with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe also reprising their roles. The film is scheduled to arrive in theatres on July 30, 2027. How Emmett’s brother fits into his account of losing his family remains to be heard, given how the plot has been kept tightly under wraps so far. 

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Are you excited to see Cillian Murphy and Jack O'Connell pair up for A Quiet Place Part III? Let us know in the comments.