Rian Johnson wants to keep making Knives Out movies after Netflix

Rian Johnson has seemingly delivered another enjoyable mystery whodunnit, as our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, had a blast with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery at the Toronto International Film Festival. He writes in his review, “Wake Up Dead Man is another wildly entertaining entry in Johnson’s Benoit Blanc mystery series, and O’Connor might be the most compelling central character we’ve followed thus far. It will no doubt please fans of the series and would certainly benefit from a robust theatrical run, as these are the kinds of films that are especially fun to watch with an audience.”

After Wake Up Dead Man, Netflix’s two-picture contract with Johnson comes to an end. However, according to Variety, Johnson says he isn’t ready to put away the Benoit Blanc series just yet. Johnson stated at the BFI London Film Festival,

I don’t feel burnt out doing these at all. If anything, I feel energized after doing this one. So as long as audiences want to keep seeing it, and Daniel and I are still having fun making them and still feel like we can come up with stuff that feels not just fresh, but a fresh challenge for us, I think that’ll translate to a new experience for the audience.”

He added, “For now, I’d be thrilled to keep making these for the rest of my life.” While Wake Up Dead Man takes place in a more gothic setting this time around, Johnson says it still may be the funniest of the three films. He explained, “In a way it a much more ground and sombre movie. But I still think it’s very funny, and maybe even a little more so than the others, because you’re not supposed to fart in church. Because of the seriousness of it, it makes the funny stuff a little more contrast.”

Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, with Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere), Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Mila Kunis (That 70s Show), Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction), and Jeremy Renner (Avengers: Endgame) – whose likeness was featured on a hot sauce in Glass Onion – making up the rest of the primary cast. Meanwhile, we’re not sure if Hugh Grant (Notting Hill) will show up as Phillip, Benoit’s domestic partner, who had a cameo in the previous film.

Additionally, the streamer has recently scheduled a two-week theatrical release, which will start on November 26. Then, the movie will stream globally on the platform on December 12.