Photo by Eric Tichy Film crews are pictured at Barcelona Harbor in September 2019 for one of several scenes shot in Chautauqua County for “A Quiet Place Part II.” After a lengthy delay, the film is set for release Friday.

It may have taken more than a year but a major studio film — with scenes shot in Chautauqua County — is about to hit theaters.

“A Quiet Place Part II” starring John Krasinski will open across the country this week, including at Lakewood Cinema 8 and Warren Mall Cinemas III. The film’s release has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; its premiere was held in New York City on March 8, 2020, before being shelved for a wider release.

In early September 2019, Krasinski was at Barcelona Harbor in Westfield for several days of filming. Crews brought in large spotlights to aid in shooting night scenes in addition to installing fog machines to make the harbor appear more menacing — fitting for the science-fiction horror sequel.

Then-Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello said he met Tim Clark, head of the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission, during a January 2019 conference of the New York Association of Counties held in Albany on how to draw potential movie productions. Borrello said he later heard from Clark, who noted that producers were looking at places to film the sequel.

Crews scouted other locations, including Long Island, before landing on Chautauqua County — specifically Dunkirk and Westfield — to film certain scenes.

“Tim reached out to me and we gave them some options,” Borrello said in a July 2019 interview. “We were able to convince them that they should come to Chautauqua County.”

“It’s fair to say we did some lobbying for them to come here,” he added.

On Wednesday, Borrello, now a New York state senator, said he had the chance to visit the sets when film crews were in Dunkirk and the harbor. “It was amazing to see all that went into converting our area into a movie set,” he said. “Many local products and services were used to make this happen. I am proud we were able to attract a major motion picture to Chautauqua County.”

Locally, the movie will premiere at Lakewood Cinema 8, owned by Dipson Theatres, tonight before a regular release Friday.

The film also will be shown at Warren Mall Cinemas III, which is officially reopening to the public today, according to an announcement on the theater. Also owned by Dipson, the theater closed public showings more than a year ago — in March 2020 — due to COVID-19 before briefly reopening. Until recently, the theater had only been available for private showings.

“A Quiet Place Part II” will screen at Warren Mall Cinemas III at 7, 8, and 9:15 p.m. in addition to “Cruella” at 6:15 and 9:10 p.m.

According to the Associated Press, “A Quiet Place Part II” is one of the biggest studio releases to open exclusively in theaters this year. “I said I really wanted to wait for theaters and they supported it from the very beginning,” Krasinski told the AP. “Even more so, I give them so much credit for going with me on being this early.”

The first film, “A Quiet Place,” was written and directed by Krasinski and followed the Abbott family (played by Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and an infant) in an upstate New York dystopia where creatures with hypersensitive hearing stalk the land, ruthlessly hunting by sound. It was a hit, grossing $340 million globally on a $17 million budget. Pressure for a sequel, naturally, grew.

“I was like, no, just preserve it,” Blunt said in an interview last year. “Paramount said we’re going to make one, whether we were a part of it or not. I think that was what they wanted. But John just then came up with the most undeniable idea.”

Krasinski’s idea: Make Simmonds’ character the lead. In “Part II,” the surviving Abbotts are forced to leave their home and, on barefoot tiptoes, search beyond for any remaining humans, and maybe some sanctuary. The scope and scale of “A Quiet Place” enlarges, while the story remains focused on family.

John Whittaker and Brian Ferry contributed to this story.