'Knives Out 3' sequel unveils title: 'Wake Up Dead Man'
What's the story
At long last, the veil of mystery has been lifted! The highly-anticipated third chapter of the beloved Knives Out series now bears the title: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The announcement was made by the Hollywood film's writer and director, Rian Johnson, on his official X/Twitter account. Johnson confirmed the title in a 45-second video with the caption, "The next Benoit Blanc mystery...is called Wake Up Dead Man."
Context
Why does this story matter?
Conceived in the mid-2000s, Knives Out was born from Johnson's ambition to breathe new life into the classic whodunit genre. Upon its release in 2019, Knives Out garnered attention for its exploration of societal issues like class struggle, wealth disparity, and immigration. The film's theatrical journey culminated in a global box office haul of $312.9M. Such success paved the way for two sequels: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man—slated for 2025.
Casting
Daniel Craig returns as suave Southern investigator Benoit Blanc
Daniel Craig is set to reprise his role as the suave Southern investigator, Benoit Blanc, in the upcoming movie. This was confirmed by both Johnson and Netflix, which will debut the film next year. "That's right, Daniel Craig is back as the suave Southern investigator in Wake Up Dead Man," stated Netflix on its Tudum page. Netflix revealed that Craig's character will be solving a new murder mystery in an undisclosed setting.
Twitter Post
Have a look at this video announcement!
The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024
Director's take
Johnson expressed enthusiasm for the whodunit genre
Apart from announcing the title, Johnson also shared his excitement for the "whodunit genre." "I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies," he wrote. "We're about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I'm very excited to share the title."
Deal
Netflix's agreement for 'Knives Out' sequels
The Hollywood Reporter had previously disclosed Netflix's agreement for two Knives Out sequels. The terms of the agreement stipulate that Johnson will not have to take notes from Netflix, Craig must star in the sequels, and each sequel must have at least the budget of the 2019 movie, which was around $40M. During the pandemic-era movie theater closures, Netflix emerged as the distributor for the Knives Out franchise sequels. The streaming platform reportedly unveiled a $469M deal with Johnson.