'That's the fastest time I've ever made it to JFK': Cillian Murphy's unsettling departure before Global Shutdown

"There was Nowhere I Felt Real Anxiety": Cillian Murphy's Pre-Pandemic Proclamation Before the Global Shutdown

As reported by GQ Magazine in May 2021, in the Spring of the previous year, Cillian Murphy was promoting 'A Quiet Place II' in New York as news of a growing pandemic remained distant headlines. The disquieting reality, however, was soon to become a lived experience, imitating his newest disaster movie's plot in an unexpected and disturbingly real way.

"A Quiet Place II: An Unexpectedly Prophetic Journey into Isolation"

Little did Murphy know, the sequel to the 2018 surprise hit he was promoting - a film about a family forced into nerve-shredding isolation - would soon mirror reality as the pandemic spread across the globe. It was in New York that he said, "Obviously, things could change at any point." And change they did, thrusting him back to Ireland to wait out the lockdown with his family, and putting the movie's release into an indefinite loop of postponements.

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Surprised himself by the opportunity to star in the sequel, Murphy recounted how he'd been on the verge of emailing John Krasinski, the writer-director of the original film, to express his admiration. An unexpected email from Krasinski, offering him a role in the sequel, saved him the trouble. The narrative picks up with Murphy's character, Emmett, a solitary survivor in a world overrun by sound-sensitive aliens.

On the theme of isolation, the film has now taken on a new, stark resonance. What was once a thrilling, fictional ride became a mirror to reality. It hit closer to home than Murphy or any of us could have imagined when it was initially conceptualized and filmed.

Reflecting back on the eve of the global shutdown, Murphy recalls the driver stating, "That's the fastest time I've ever made it to JFK." With flights taking off against a backdrop of fear and uncertainty, the world was about to enter a phase of prolonged stillness - schools closing, film releases postponed, and Murphy's 'Peaky Blinders' put on hold.

This uncanny connection between life and cinema offers a chilling reminder of the unpredictable nature of our world, a sentiment encapsulated by Murphy's own words: "Obviously, things could change at any point."

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)