Lupita Nyong’o plunged into a terrifying alien invasion

LOS ANGELES

Just when you thought it was safe to make a sound, the “Quiet Place” franchise is back with another installment to shut you right up.

Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One” on Feb. 7, revealing new cast addition Lupita Nyong’o as a central character in a story focused on the start of the invasion of a vicious extraterrestrial species that hunts and kills by sound.

After showing brief scenes from the previous entries featuring John Krasinski, Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy, who play characters dealing with the aftermath of the invasion over a year after its onset in 2018’s “A Quiet Place” and the sequel in 2020, a title card counts back to “Day 1,” showing a loud and bustling New York City.

Oscar-winner Nyong’o is seen wandering through the regular urban mayhem, when she suddenly looks skyward to see what look to be comets crashing through the atmosphere.

That’s when a new, horrific mayhem begins, with the creatures wreaking havoc, tossing cars like rag dolls and snatching screaming, unsuspecting citizens.

The scenes of destruction reveal city streets choked with people desperate to flee, military aircraft flying overhead, crescendoing to a jaw-dropping shot of a collapsing bridge, engulfed in flames.

Then, all becomes… quiet, as Nyong’o finds herself hiding out with Djimon Hounsou – reprising his role from 2020’s “A Quiet Place Part II” – who gives her the most priceless advice one could hope to receive in this world: a ‘shh!’ sign with his finger to his lips.

”A Quiet Place: Day One” also stars Alex Wolff (‘Hereditary’) and “Stranger Things 4” breakout star Joseph Quinn. It invades theaters on June 28.